Phenylephrine-lignocaine mixture is considerably more expensive and has potentially more side effects than xylometazoline. These study findings suggest that it is difficult to justify the use of phenylephrine-lignocaine mixture over xylometazoline, for nasal preparation prior to rigid nasendoscopy.
Parathyroid surgery is the acceptable definitive treatment for primary hyperparathyroidism (pHPT) due to parathyroid adenoma. Open mini-incision parathyroidectomy (O-MIP) has an excellent cure rate and minimal morbidity. We aim to demonstrate the safety, efficacy and subjective patient satisfaction of O-MIP and investigate the accuracy of pre-operative radiological localisation in relation to operative findings. A retrospective review of patients who underwent O-MIP for pHPT due to solitary parathyroid adenoma from April 2006 to August 2012 was performed. All patients were initially investigated by an endocrinologist to confirm pHPT with pre-operative localisation imaging using ultrasound scan (USS) and 99mTc-sestamibi (MIBI). One hundred and fifty consecutive patients were included with a median age of 62 years. Pre-operative USS and MIBI scans were concordant in 71 % of cases. In combined modality (USS and MIBI), localisation was 94.8 % accurate. There was 95.5 % identification of parathyroid tissue confirmed by intra-operative frozen section. Ninety-one percent of patients were treated as a day case. The median operative time was 60 min. The mean pre-operative calcium level was 2.98 mmol/l, and the short-to-medium term mean calcium level was 2.49 (Paired t test, p < 0.001). There was no significant complication. O-MIP confers significant advantages over the traditional gold standard treatment of bilateral neck exploration. Accurate localisation is the key to successful O-MIP. In experienced hands, ultrasound and MIBI may be the only pre-operative investigations required for accurate localisation.
Of the GPs surveyed 78 per cent did not refer children presenting with acute facial paralysis to an otolaryngologist. We suggest minimum investigations for acute facial paralysis in children before diagnosing Bell's palsy and stipulate otolaryngology referral for all.
Healthy ear canal skin has an acidic pH. Evidence suggests that reacidifi cation of the ear canal may lead to resolution of otitis externa. Th e pH of 15 commonly prescribed topical ear drop preparations used in the treatment of otitis externa was measured using a Jenway 3020 pH meter with temperature compensation at 37.5°C. Th e pH values ranged from 2.89 to 7.83. Two-thirds of preparations tested were of acidic pH. Th e remaining one-third were alkaline. Reacidifi cation of the ear canal may help in the treatment of otitis externa.
We describe an unusual case of recurrent, refractory anterior epistaxis in an 86-year-old man with two mechanical heart valves who was on permanent warfarin therapy. His numerous episodes of epistaxis were incited by chronic nose-picking and strong nose-blowing, practices that he continued to engage in despite repeated medical advice to stop. Stopping his anticoagulation therapy was not considered as a management option because of an unacceptably high risk that this would lead to a thromboembolic event. Eventually, we temporarily sutured his nares closed, and his nosebleeds ceased. The suturing was performed in the ward with local anesthesia. This procedure was simple to perform, fairly well tolerated, easily reversible, and highly effective.
Objective: Ventilation tube insertion is the primary surgical intervention in persistent otitis media with effusion. Around 7% of ventilation tubes require elective removal. The objective is to discover the tympanic membrane healing rate after ventilation tube removal and identify measures that improve this. Method: Retrospective case note review performed for patients who had elective ventilation tube removed over an 8-year period. Information gathered included if any concomitant procedure was performed to repair the tympanic membrane and final outcome of the tympanic membrane status. Results: A total of 113 cases were included in this study. The average age at grommet insertion and removal was 5.8 years old and 8.3 years old, respectively. After ventilation tube removal the perforation edges were freshened in all cases. The majority of patients (84.1%) subsequently had an intact tympanic membrane. Additional procedures were performed on 19 ears, 6 with insertion of overlay absorbable material and 14 with a fat plug. Closure rate in these patients was 100%. Shah and Sheperd grommets had a significantly lower residual tympanic membrane perforation rate compared to T-Tube and Titanium grommets. Conclusion: Tympanic membrane closure rate after ventilation tube removal was 84.1%. Additional procedures, ie, overlaying of absorbable material, appear to improve the closure rate. We therefore advocate the technique. In selected cases such as T-tube removal a concurrent fat plug myringoplasty may be appropriate.
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