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Access to and uptake of cochlear implants in the UK

Assessing demands on cochlear implant (CI) services is very important for both commissioners and clinicians in anticipating clinical need and funding requirements. Commercial CI’s were introduced in the late 1980s. Initial funding was from charitable sources. The first major advance...

Cognitive spare capacity: what is it and why does it matter?

Cognition refers to thinking and memory. So why would cognition be a useful concept for ENTs and audiologists? Audition provides our main channel of communication and when we speak to each other, we want to exchange thoughts and remember what...

The future of hearing care and the role of audiology

The Clinical Director of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and President-elect of the American Academy of Audiology reviews the status of the present day audiologist’s remit, and discusses the changes we can expect with the changing demographic and behaviour of...

Gastric inlet patch – an under-diagnosed cause of globus

A gastric inlet patch (GIP) is an island of heterotopic gastric mucosa found commonly in the proximal oesophagus just below the upper oesophageal sphincter. It is often underdiagnosed due to its location. Its importance and clinical relevance can be underestimated...

Introduction to speech testing

Let’s get back to basics: Dr Schoepflin introduces the concepts behind speech testing for hearing care professionals. While pure tone threshold testing is considered the ‘gold standard’ for assessing auditory sensitivity, the results of pure tone testing provide only limited...

Plasticity with cochlear implants: individual factors in the outcomes

Andrej Kral gives us an overview of neuronal plasticity in congenital hearing loss, and discusses why it is core to our clinical interventions in hearing loss and rehabilitation. The brain is born immature and undergoes extensive shaping during early development....

A brief history of adenoidectomy - a glowing report of the post nasal space

The traditional adenoid curette more closely resembles a medieval torture device than an instrument of cure. Therefore it is not much of a surprise to learn that it has changed little since its invention almost 150 years ago. During that...

Imaging tinnitus

Tinnitus is a common sensation with a reported prevalence of 7-32%. The British National Study of Hearing recorded that 10% of adults suffered from prolong spontaneous tinnitus, and approximately a quarter of these are subsequently referred to hospital for investigation...

Specialist teams deliver world-class trauma care

University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust runs the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, which is a designated Major Trauma Centre. The Trust holds the contract to treat all UK injured military personnel evacuated from combat zones overseas. More than 1200 of...

Sleep apnoea in children with craniofacial syndromes

Whilst snoring and obstructive sleep apnoea are relatively common diagnoses in paediatric ENT, children with craniofacial syndromes take the problem to the next level. Robert Nash and Michelle Wyatt describe the Great Ormond Street multidisciplinary approach to treating this complex...

Shooting for Gold: ENT surgery and the Commonwealth Games

What are the secrets to success in your career, sports and life in general? Sharp-shooter Parag Patel hits the bullseye again. I write this article following a wave of summer sporting brilliance, from the record Great Britain 67 medal haul...

Audiological evaluation and management of teenagers with tinnitus

There is a growing interest in investigating, understanding and managing tinnitus in children and adolescents, with several articles on the subject published in journals over the last year. Brian Fligor describes the approaches to consider when discussing tinnitus with teenagers....