High frequency tympanometry findings in neonates: Does it depend on head position?

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of head positions on high frequency tympanometry (HFT) results obtained from neonates. Design: A cross-sectional study to compare HFT results obtained from neonates in two head positions (face sideways and face up). Study sample: One hundred and fifty-seven neonates (80 female, 77 male; mean age =?48.3?±?26.7 hours) participated. Results: The mean uncompensated admittance at 200 daPa obtained in the face sideways position was significantly greater than that obtained in the face up position (1.02 versus 0.96 mmho). A significant ear effect for baseline compensated admittance was found (right/left =?0.64/0.53 mmho). However, there were no significant main effects for head positions for the tympanometric peak pressure, baseline compensated static admittance, and component compensated static admittance measures, indicating that these measures are resilient to head positions. Conclusion: These findings support the use of HFT normative values regardless of the two head positions investigated in the present study.     

Adenoidectomy: does it work?

Adenoidectomy is a common, routine paediatric operation for which the evidence base for effectiveness is lacking. While there is a broad evidence base of variable quality for other common children's ENT operations, most published data including adenoidectomy is combined with the effect of combined tonsillectomy or grommet surgery. For the common indications for adenoidectomy, does it work?     

Computed tomography in suppurative ear disease: does it influence management?

The value of high resolution computerized tomography (CT) prior to routine mastoid surgery for cholesteatoma remains controversial. Doubts about sensitivity and specificity, in detecting the extent of underlying pathology and in predicting asymptomatic complications, prevent widespread adoption. This retrospective study looks at the influence of pre-operative scanning on the surgical management of chronic suppurative otitis media over an 18-month period. The radiological findings determined the choice of surgical approach, but contributed less to the decision to operate and the prediction of potential hazards. CT is of most value when the otologist can be flexible in surgical technique, tailoring it to imaging findings.     

Koilocytosis in oral squamous cell carcinoma: what does it mean?

OBJECTIVES: (1) To determine the prognosis of patients with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the oral cavity and (2) to determine whether a relationship exists between koilocytosis and tumour grade, stage, and prognosis in these patients. METHODS: Retrospective study of patients with SCC of the oral cavity at McGill University in the last 5 years followed by a pathology review of available cases. The data extracted were age at diagnosis, risk factors, tumour stage and grade, koilocytosis, treatment, and outcome. Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) extraction was done, followed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect the presence of human papillomavirus (HPV). RESULTS: One hundred ninety-nine patients were identified. There was an overall 13% mortality rate over the follow-up period of 5 years. Pathology material was available for 146 patients. Koilocytosis was found in 67% of patients. More specifically, koilocytosis was present in 67.2% of well-differentiated lesions, 65.2% of moderately differentiated lesions, and 68.4% of poorly differentiated lesions. Koilocytosis was evenly distributed among tumour stages (I, 73%; II, 68%; III, 68%; IV, 69%). PCR was positive in only one sample. CONCLUSION: Mortality rates in this series are similar to those published in the literature. There is a high prevalence of koilocytosis in SCC of the oral cavity, which appears to be associated with better tumour differentiation and poorly differentiated equally and also evenly distributed among tumour. Because HPV is negative, we do not know if koilocytosis is a marker of HPV. We could not determine the relationship between HPV and prognosis.     

The use of perioperative antibiotics in tonsillectomy: does it decrease morbidity?

OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy of perioperative antibiotics in decreasing post-operative morbidity among patients undergoing tonsillectomy or adenotonsillectomy. DESIGN: Meta-analysis based on a structured search of the literature, using MEDLINE and the Cochrane database. SUBJECTS: Only articles, which included both treatment and control groups, were included in the final analysis. Studies were limited to ones that involved human subjects, including both children and adults. Studies using steroids and topical antibiotics were excluded. OUTCOMES: Articles were abstracted for patient factors, elements of study design, methods of patient assignment to treatment and control groups, and clinical outcomes. The primary outcome, time required for return to normal oral intake, was analyzed in the final meta-analysis. METHODS: Four hundred and twenty-eight articles were initially identified. There were 23 potentially appropriate articles. Of these, 18 were able to be located in full text form and in English. Seven of these studies directly studied the efficacy of perioperative antibiotics (versus no antibiotics) in decreasing post-operative morbidity. Four studies had sufficient information to calculate effects estimates (xi) and standard deviations (Si) for the primary outcome. Three studies either did not report the outcome of interest or did not report a measure of stability (e.g. p-value or confidence interval). The data available from the first four studies were combined in a quantitative meta-analysis. Statistical analyses were performed using STATA for Windows software. RESULTS: The pooled estimate indicated that the antibiotic group returned to normal oral intake, on average, 1 day sooner than the controls. This difference was found to be statistically significant with a 95% confidence interval of 0.5-1.6 days. An additional assessment of three qualitative reports also suggested the use of perioperative antibiotics for adenotonsillectomy was associated with less post-operative pain. However, studies varied in terms of study quality, sample size, outcome examined, measure used and antibiotic administered. Definitive conclusions regarding the effect of perioperative antibiotics on other outcomes including bleeding, halitosis, fever, activity level and nausea and vomiting could not be drawn due to the small numbers of studies. CONCLUSIONS: In this meta-analysis, the use of perioperative antibiotics in patients who have had tonsillectomy or adenotonsillectomy appears to be associated with a 1-day reduction in the time required for return to normal oral intake. For other potentially important outcomes, such as post operative pain or bleeding, sufficient data were not available to make any definitive conclusions regarding the effect of perioperative antibiotics.     

Adult aural rehabilitation: what is it and does it work?

Adult aural rehabilitation is here defined holistically as the reduction of hearing-loss-induced deficits of function, activity, participation, and quality of life through a combination of sensory management, instruction, perceptual training, and counseling. There is a tendency for audiologists to focus on sensory management, aural rehabilitation being seen as something done by someone else after the provision of hearing aids or cochlear implants. Effective sensory management may, by itself, lead to improved activity, participation, and quality of life, but there is no guarantee that these outcomes will be automatic or optimal. In fact, there is often a disconnect between clinical measures of assisted auditory function and self-assessed benefit. Costs associated with a holistic approach can be minimized by bundling as many as possible into the cost of hearing devices, by taking advantage of computer-based perceptual training, and by capitalizing on the benefits of group counseling.     

Intraoperative findings on ECAP-measurement: Normal or special case?

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the measurability and threshold level of electrically evoked compound action potentials (ECAPs) in order to provide a baseline for the development of diagnostic references to support aftercare procedures. Design: In this retrospective study, cochlear implant patients were grouped according to the electrode array type and preoperative diagnostic findings from radiological imaging. ECAP measurements were performed intraoperatively on 22 electrodes for each patient resulting in two comparisons: (1) normal vs. pathological findings based on imaging with same electrode array, (2) perimodiolar electrode vs. straight electrode array within the normal group. Study sample: The study sample consisted of 218 ears with a Nucleus^® implant. Results: In the group with normal radiological imaging, the percentage of measurable ECAPs was higher than in the pathological group. The ECAP thresholds on 21 electrodes were significantly different between the two groups. Furthermore the thresholds were significantly lower for basal electrodes mainly for the two different electrode types. Conclusion: The pathological changes in the inner ear, the type of electrode array, and the electrode position affect the ECAP threshold. Further consideration suggests that a receiver operating characteristic curve can be derived from the results.     

Enlargement of the cochlear aqueduct: does it exist?

Our intention was to evaluate whether enlargement of the cochlear aqueduct could play a role in dysfunctions of the inner ear. There is little literature dealing with the question of cochlear aqueduct (CA) enlargement and results of reported radiological examinations are contradictory. Therefore, we decided to analyse 400 high-resolution CT-scans of the temporal bone to examine the diameter of the CA. We used scan-data from a 64-line multislice spiral-CT-scanner stored in our PACS-System. CA-enlargement was defined as a diameter of more than 1 mm in the whole otic capsule portion. A classification with four types of CA’s proposed by Migirov and Kronenberg in 2005 was applied. Statistical analysis of diameters, different CA-types and side asymmetry was performed. We did not find any CA exceeding 1 mm in diameter in the otic capsule portion, there is no evidence of CA-enlargement, not even in patients with inner ear malformation. A new aspect compared with published literature to date is that nearly in all cases CA was identified, but in different degrees. According to our findings, it seems to be very unlikely that CA-enlargement is a reason for pathologic inner ear condition as it is in case of large vestibular aqueduct.     

Rosen mobilization of the stapes: does it have a place in modern otology?

We describe two patients with stapes fixation, in both of whom Rosen mobilization seemed to be the most prudent surgical choice. In both cases, a useful hearing gain was achieved initially. In the patient with otosclerosis, the conductive hearing loss recurred and a stapedectomy was subsequently carried out. In the patient with congenital stapes fixation, the hearing gain was maintained for two years eight months. We believe that this technique still has a place in stapes surgery in rare instances.     

Acoustic neuroma ingrowth in the cochlear nerve: does it influence the clinical presentation?

We examined the clinical presentation in patients with a histologically proven ingrowth of the cochlear nerve by acoustic neuroma to see whether this differs from what is known from large acoustic neuroma series. In total, 85 acoustic neuromas had an en bloc dissection to study histologically the relation between the cochlear nerve and the acoustic neuroma. In 21 of these 85 specimens, there was histologic proof of invasion of the cochlear nerve by the tumor. For 13 of these 21 tumors, sufficient clinical data could be retrieved to describe the clinical presentation in these patients. We collected clinical data such as age, sex, presenting symptoms, duration of symptoms, tone audiograms, tumor size measurements and volumetric calculations, and latency interval data I-V of brain stem evoked response audiometry and calculated whether there was any correlation among those data. We also compared these clinical data with the data from some large acoustic neuroma series. No clear difference could be shown between the clinical presentation of acoustic neuroma patients with cochlear nerve ingrowth and the clinical presentations in large acoustic neuroma series. This outcome favors the theory that the hearing impairment in acoustic neuroma patients is mainly the result of compression on the vessels of the cochlea and/or on the cochlear nerve.     

Vestibular implant: does it really work? A systematic review

IntroductionPeople with vestibular loss present a deficit in the vestibular system, which is primarily responsible for promoting postural control, gaze stabilization, and spatial orientation while the head moves. There is no effective treatment for a bilateral loss of vestibular function. Recently, a vestibular implant was developed for people with bilateral loss of vestibular function to improve this function and, consequently, the quality of life of these patients.ObjectiveTo identify in the scientific literature evidence that vestibular implants in people with vestibular deficit improves vestibular function.MethodsOne hundred and forty six articles were found from five databases and 323 articles from the gray literature mentioning the relationship between vestibular implant and vestibular function in humans. The PICOS strategy (Population, Intervention, Comparison and Outcome) was used to define the eligibility criteria. The studies that met the inclusion criteria for this second step were included in a qualitative synthesis, and each type of study was analyzed according to the bias risk assessment of the Joanna Briggs Institute through the critical assessment checklist Joanna Briggs institute for quasi-experimental studies and the Joanna Briggs institute critical assessment checklist for case reports.ResultsOf the 21 articles included in reading the full text, 10 studies were selected for the qualitative analysis in the present systematic review. All ten articles analyzed through the critical assessment checklist Joanna Briggs institute showed a low risk of bias. The total number of samples in the evaluated articles was 18 patients with vestibular implants.ConclusionsTaken together, these findings support the feasibility of vestibular implant for restoration of the vestibulo-ocular reflex in a broad frequency range and illustrate new challenges for the development of this technology.     

Delivery of nasal drops to the middle meatus: which is the best head position?

BACKGROUND: Chronic sinusitis and intranasal polyps require long-term topical drug therapy. The issue of drug delivery to the critical area of the middle meatus is rarely addressed. AIM: The aim of this study was to compare the delivery of drops to the middle meatus using four different head positions (Mecca, Mygind, Ragan and Head back). The study also assessed the discomfort with each position whilst administering the nasal drops. METHODS: Nine nostrils in five healthy volunteers were studied to compare the delivery of drops to the middle meatus using the four different head positions. A neurosurgical patty was placed under direct vision in the middle meatus using a rigid nasendoscope. Six drops of dyed-saline were administered into each nostril. Upon removal, a quantitative assessment was made of the amount of dye absorbed and discomfort assessed. The direction of flow of the nasal drops in the nose was also demonstrated. RESULTS: The 'Mygind' and 'Ragan' positions were superior to the 'Mecca' and 'Head back' positions in delivery of drops to the middle meatus. The 'Mecca' position was the most uncomfortable. CONCLUSION: We recommend that the 'Mygind' or 'Ragan' position should be used for nasal drop administration.