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Delirium post-op

This is a retrospective study from Japan analysing 102 patients who underwent oral cancer resection and free flap reconstruction. Postoperative delirium occurred in a third of these patients. An increased risk was identified in those with high preoperative albumin, postoperative...

Trends in parathyroidectomy

The authors retrospectively analysed Hospital Episode Statistics data for parathyroidectomy between 2000 and 2010. Overall, parathyroidectomy rates nearly doubled from 3.3/100,000 population in 2000 to 5.8/100,000 in 2010, with particularly significant increases in elderly patients. The authors attribute this rise...

Horizontal canal PPV: is Gufoni manoeuvre better than barbecue manoeuvre?

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is the most common kind of vertigo that we come across in our out-patient clinic. Horizontal canal BPPV (HC-BPPV) accounts for 10–30% of total BPPV. Two techniques, namely Guffoni and barbecue roll manoeuvres, are generally...

Association between dysphagia and sarcopenia: implications for assessment of older people

The onset of swallowing difficulties with progressive age is reported to occur in 13-35% of the elderly population. Sarcopenia is characterised by a decrease in muscle mass, strength and function. Sarcopenic dysphagia is a relatively new term. Its prevalence is...

Long-term curative effects of microvascular decompression for hemifacial spasm

This article describes results of a multicentre prospective trial performed to evaluate long- and short-term outcomes and complications of patients who underwent microvascular decompression (MVD) for hemifacial spasm (HFS). The surgeries were performed by surgeons with more than 15 years...

Risky behaviour: do care homes follow dysphagia recommendations?

A huge proportion of elderly people living in residential care homes will develop dysphagia. In Australia this is estimated at close to two thirds of all residents. It is the role of the speech and language therapist to make recommendations...

Olfactory and gustatory recovery in coronavirus patients after six months

It remains unclear for how long olfactory and gustatory losses persevere in patients with COVID-19. This is a prospective study of 300 patients who lost taste and smell within seven days of contracting COVID-19. The patients were objectively assessed with...

How patients reacted to postponement of cochlear implant surgery due to COVID-19

The onset of COVID-19 in 2020 required widespread cancellation of elective surgeries, one of these being cochlear implant for profoundly deafened adults and post-lingually deafened children. Through a questionnaire, to which 23 out of 38 patients responded, this qualitative study...

Effect of age-related changes in voice production and hearing on Voice Handicap Index and Geriatric Depression Scores

The ageing process affects hearing and production of voice. It is not unknown that impairment of these faculties can affect quality of life and also cause depression. The authors have presented an array of actual anatomical and functional changes that...

The Laryngectomee Guide

As a Macmillan Head and Neck Specialist Nurse, I was very pleased to be asked to review this book, The Laryngectomee Guide, by Itzhak Brook, MD. It is fair to say that for most laryngectomy patients, life does go on...

Using evidence and international consensus to guide treatment of thyroid nodules

The authors of this practical review paper highlight a growing issue within thyroid surgery, where high-quality ultrasound has increased the detection of subclinical nodules: what do we do with the patient presenting with an ‘incidental’ thyroid nodule? This has both...