Journal Reviews
SCC of pinna – which histological features could predict prognosis?
Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the pinna is reported to have a higher rate of metastasis than cutaneous SCC originating from elsewhere - up to 16% compared with less than 2% for the latter. The authors aimed to assess...
Should patients with dysphagia be allowed water freely?
Patients with dysphagia often experience dehydration as a consequence of “nil by mouth” or having to consume thickened fluids due to aspiration of thin fluids. However, not all incidents of aspiration develop into an infection. Factors that contribute to aspiration...
Tinnitus and leisure noise
Tinnitus attracts large interest among researchers all over the world due to its negative psychological side-effects. Researchers from the National Acoustic Laboratory (NAL) tested life-time noise exposure and its influence on the tinnitus experience in 1435 young Australians from various...
Increased intensity of treatment: intensity does not improve outcomes
There is a paucity of reports regarding the intensity and appropriate duration of treatment required to improve the language abilities of children with language impairment. This study used direct measures such as the time spent on language, the frequency, number...
From clinical to academic – intervention research in SLT
There are many different research methods and designs that can be used to test the effectiveness of speech and language interventions. This article aims to describe those methods relevant to speech and language therapists working with a range of clients....
‘Close’ surgical margin in oral tongue redefined, 2.3mm is as good as 5mm
Gold standard treatment of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the oral tongue remains surgical resection of the primary tumour with negative margins. The primary goal is the complete excision of the tumour with no residual cancer cells left behind. A...
GORD and CRS – is there an association?
This international collaboration assessed 32 papers which had published original data on the experimental, diagnostic, treatment or prognostic association between GORD and CRS. The study aims to systematically review the evidence for a role of GORD in CRS. Case control,...
Surgery for snoring
The prevalence of sleep-disordered breathing is rapidly increasing. There is variable evidence for surgical treatments for snoring currently. This Belgian study was a retrospective review of 84 patients who underwent surgery for snoring between May 2011 and December 2015. A...
Do you use the evidence or do you just know to do that?
In this day and age we generally consider healthcare practice to be evidence-based. Unfortunately there are not always the plethora of research articles available that address the dilemmas of day-to-day clinical practice. This piece of work considers what factors influence...
Transnasal endoscopic choanal atresia surgery
Surgery is currently the only definitive treatment for congenital choanal atresia (CCA). There are various surgical approaches including transnasal, transeptal or transpalatal. The authors propose that the preferred option is transnasal endoscopic choanal atresia surgery (TECAS) and set out to...
Inferior alveolar nerve recovery after ORIF fractured mandible
Mandibular fractures are quite common facial injuries, but aetiology varies with country and age. Common treatment options are open reduction and internal fixation via an intra-oral or extra-oral incision. Nerve injury or dysfunction is often seen preoperatively and may also...
A comparison between ultrasonography-guided drainage with open surgical drainage of deep neck space abscesses
A comparison between ultrasonography-guided drainage with open surgical drainage of deep neck space abscesses Neck space abscesses are common; conventional drainage involves intra-oral or extra-oral approaches. The former can compromise the airway and the latter can cause neurovascular injuries, scarring...
