Journal Reviews
Possibility of noise induced hearing loss during middle ear suction for secretory otitis media
Emission of high intensity sound is dangerous to the cochlea and can result in noise induced hearing loss (NIHL). Removal of middle ear fluid is common in everyday practice and the possibility of inducing NIHL is seldom considered and not...
Use of tranexamic acid in ENT surgery
Postoperative bleeding in otolaryngologic procedures causes delayed discharge, requires re-admission and adds considerably to the cost of patient care. Whether the anti-fibrinolytic activity of tranexamic acid should be used routinely to prevent haemorrhagic complications after ENT operations is speculation but...
Anatomic guidelines to endolymphatic sac in transmastoid approach – a cadaveric study
This study involved cadaveric dissection using transmastoid approach in cadaveric embalmed five half heads and posterior fossa approach in fourteen. The sac was identified by electron microscopy. The relatively consistent measurements were the relationship of the operculum to the internal...
The anatomy and actual number of branches of the sphenopalatine artery: surgical implications
Endoscopic sphenopalatine artery ligation or cauterisation is nowadays the main treatment for epistaxis unresponsive to medical therapy. However, on review of the literature, there appears to be confusion relating to the anatomical nomenclature of the sphenopalatine artery branches and more...
Swallowing outcomes following partial laryngectomy: objective assessment and pre-operative predictive factors
Partial laryngectomy constitutes one of the treatments for early stage glottic carcinoma (i.e. T1N0 and T2N0) in specialised centres. Over the years, several partial laryngectomy and reconstruction techniques have been described in the literature. The choice of technique depends on...
Ideal terminology for unexplained paediatric language problems
This paper aims to open a discussion about the different labels being used to refer to children’s unexplained language impairments. A wide range of terminology has been applied creating confusion, impeding progress of research and access to appropriate services. For...
Friendly bacteria in the ear nose and throat to combat the bad…
The author presents a thorough review of bacterial interference and the studies that have been conducted in common ENT conditions. The simple concept is that a strong population of normal flora will interfere with colonisation and subsequent infection by pathogenic...
Factors affecting the occurrence of salivary fistula after total laryngectomy
It is generally believed that patients should be fed by nasogastric tube for 7-10 days after undergoing total laryngectomy or laryngopharyngectomy to avoid the occurrence of post-operative salivary fistula. This study challenges this belief and looks into various factors that...
Application of paper patching in patulous eustachian tube
The condition of patulous eustachian tube, as opposed to dysfunctional eustachian tube, is less frequently diagnosed. Symptoms related to this, such as autophony, aural fullness, ‘being under water’, ‘hearing their own breathing’, and hearing sensitivity (varying in either direction) can...
Supplementing intranasal cortical steroids with montelukast: does it help?
Intranasal steroids are widely used in the treatment of allergic rhinitis. Whether or not the addition of montelukast helps was assessed in this study. This was a single centre prospective randomised double-blind placebo-controlled trial of two groups of patients, one...
Lower respiratory involvement in allergic rhinitis and chronic sinusitis
The recent ARIA (Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma) project has generated interest in simultaneous involvement of the lower respiratory airway in cases of chronic rhinosinusitis and allergic rhinitis. This study takes into account the extent of pulmonary function...
Paediatric pain control post-tonsillectomy
The use of codeine in the paediatric population is widely debated since the American Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published warnings regarding overdose and death following the usage of codeine. Codeine is metabolised by the polymorphic cytochrome PY4502D6 (CYP2D6) in...
