Search

Risks of tracheostomy in head and neck cancer

Tracheostomy is associated with several complications, with rates quoted as high as 8-45%, including: bleeding; displacement; obstruction; surgical emphysema; pneumothorax; fistulae and failure to decannulate. There are now many studies that confirm the increased length of stay and complications of...

Home alone with aphasia

Relationships and social networks are known to impact outcome following a stroke. Studies have shown that group-housed animals who have had a stroke show greater neurological recovery than those who are isolated. Similarly, adults who are socially isolated following a...

Third-party disability in cochlear implantation

The authors of this study note significant third-party disability experienced by significant others (SO) or communication partners of persons with hearing impairment (PHI). The study explored contextual and psychosocial factors for successful auditory rehabilitation, advocating for the importance of including...

Are we screening enough? Genetics in adult-onset sensorineural hearing loss

Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) in adults can be a result of multiple factors such as age, noise exposure and autoimmune pathology. In a group of patients, no cause is identified and the SNHL is treated as idiopathic. Authors evaluate the...

Sinonasal inverting papilloma: who is at risk of recurrence?

This study from a tertiary sinus surgery unit, describes some useful information in the follow-up of sinonasal inverted papilloma patients - in particular those likely to recur - and discusses the optimal staging systems to use to attempt to predict...

BPPV and bone mineral density

Over the years, attempts have been made to identify modifiable risk factors for BPPV. Due to the chemical composition of otoconia, the role of calcium metabolism and its associated conditions have been studied with no firm conclusions. The authors studied...

Predicting the prognosis of oral squamous cell carcinoma after salvage surgery

Loco-regional recurrence of oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OCSCC) continues to be a life-threatening and difficult clinical situation. Salvage surgery can result in significant morbidities, and survival following recurrence is generally poor. In this study from Ontario, Canada, prognostic factors...

Adenoidal hypertrophy in children with allergic rhinitis

Nasal congestion in children with allergic rhinitis can be confounded by adenoidal hypertrophy. This retrospective Turkish study examines this association in more detail. The sample studied was 566 children (age 2-18) that were diagnosed (based on ARIA guidelines) and treated...

Cochlear microphonics in children

Cochlear microphonics (CM) are generated mainly from outer hair cells and are routinely tested in children with hearing loss in some parts of the world. In this retrospective study, the aim was to compare the cochlear microphonics features (mainly CM...

Smoking causes cancer – so what’s new?

You may well ask what is the novel value of a paper looking at smoking habits in patients with confirmed head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), but this paper highlights some pertinent points for clinical practice in the current...

Newborn sensorineural hearing loss – what is the incidence?

In the last two decades, the introduction of newborn screening for hearing loss has dramatically lowered the average age of newborn hearing loss diagnosis to around two to three months of age. The benefits of early diagnosis are manifold, enabling...