This study demonstrates that MIVAT is as safe as the existing gold standard operation. Furthermore, it has better cosmetic and pain outcomes for patients when compared to conventional surgery. MIVAT is a promising new technique, with obvious benefits over the established surgery, for small-volume thyroid disease that mainly affects a young female patient population.

Tympanic membrane rupture in survivors of the London bombings on July 7, 2005, had a high prevalence affecting half of patients across a range of distances from the blasts. Tympanic membrane did not act as an effective biomarker of underlying blast lung. In a mass casualty event, patients with isolated tympanic membrane rupture with normal observations and chest radiography can be monitored for a short period and safely discharged with arrangement for ear, nose, and throat follow-up.

Pain and bleeding are significant causes of morbidity post-tonsillectomy. We conclude that there is no significant evidence to support hemostatic glues over current techniques for reducing severity of these outcomes. Consequently, we do not recommended hemostatic glues for routine use in current clinical practice. Studies were generally of low quality and inadequately powered to detect a statistical difference, even when pooled. We advocate further research to facilitate future meta-analysis.

Metallized plastic sheeting (m.p.s.) was found to be ineffective in the prevention of hypothermia in adult patients studied during neurosurgical operations. Twenty patients were wrapped in m.p.s. and 22 patients acted as controls. Mean oesophageal temperature in the m.p.s. group decreased from 36.2 degrees C to 35.4 degrees C after 3 h (control 36.5 degrees C to 35.4 degrees C). It was concluded that active warming systems are needed to maintain normothermia in patients undergoing neurosurgical operations.