A Near-Peer Teaching Module to Supplement Current Undergraduate Teaching in ENT Surgery.

Background: Near-peer teaching (NPT) has been successfully used in other medical specialties but not in ear, nose and throat surgery (ENT). Historically, undergraduates receive limited ENT exposure and subsequently report low confidence in ENT competencies. This has been a posited cause of high referral rates to the specialty.

Is it safe to inject local anaesthetic with adrenaline into the pinna and external nose?

Adrenaline containing lidocaine preparations such as lignospan are routinely used in ear, nose and throat (ENT) care. Despite this, textbooks and internet resources warn against their use in peripheries, including the nose and ear. As a result, they are commonly avoided by other specialties, such as emergency medicine.

Interventions for children with ear discharge occurring at least two weeks following grommet (ventilation tube) insertion.

Background: Ear discharge (otorrhoea) is common in children with grommets (ventilation/tympanostomy tubes); the proportion of children developing discharge ranges from 25% to 75%. The most common treatment strategies include oral broad-spectrum antibiotics, antibiotic eardrops or those containing a combination of antibiotic(s) and a corticosteroid, and initial observation. Important drivers for one strategy over the other are concerns over the side effects of oral antibiotics and the potential ototoxicity of antibiotic eardrops.

WITHDRAWN: Interventions for ear discharge associated with grommets (ventilation tubes).

Background: The insertion of grommets (also known as ventilation or tympanostomy tubes) is one of the most common surgical procedures performed on children. Postoperative otorrhoea (discharge) is the most common complication with a reported incidence ranging from 10% to 50%. In the UK, many ENT surgeons treat with topical antibiotics/steroid combinations, but general practitioners, mainly through fears of ototoxicity, are unlikely to prescribe these and choose systemic broad-spectrum antibiotics.

Tinnitus.

Introduction: Up to 18% of people in industrialised societies are mildly affected by chronic tinnitus, and 0.5% report tinnitus having a severe effect on their daily life. Tinnitus can be associated with hearing loss, acoustic neuromas, drug toxicity, ear diseases, and depression.

Tinnitus.

Introduction: Up to 18% of people in industrialised societies are mildly affected by chronic tinnitus, and 0.5% report tinnitus having a severe effect on their daily life. Tinnitus can be associated with hearing loss, acoustic neuromas, drug toxicity, ear diseases, and depression.

Corticosteroids for the treatment of idiopathic acute vestibular dysfunction (vestibular neuritis).

Background: Idiopathic acute vestibular dysfunction (vestibular neuritis) is the second most common cause of peripheral vertigo after benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) and accounts for 7% of the patients who present at outpatient clinics specialising in the treatment of dizziness. The exact aetiology of the condition is unknown and the effects of corticosteroids on the condition and its recovery are uncertain.

Objectives: To assess the effectiveness of corticosteroids in the management of patients with idiopathic acute vestibular dysfunction (vestibular neuritis).

Cognitive behavioural therapy for tinnitus.

Background: This is an update of a Cochrane Review originally published in Issue 1, 2007 of The Cochrane Library.Tinnitus is an auditory perception that can be described as the experience of sound, in the ear or in the head, in the absence of external acoustic stimulation. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) uses relaxation, cognitive restructuring of the thoughts and exposure to exacerbating situations in order to promote habituation and may benefit tinnitus patients, as may the treatment of associated psychological conditions.

Tinnitus.

Introduction: Up to 18% of people in industrialised societies are mildly affected by chronic tinnitus, and 0.5% report tinnitus having a severe effect on their daily life. Tinnitus can be associated with hearing loss, acoustic neuromas, drug toxicity, ear diseases, and depression.

Management of upper airway obstruction secondary to warfarin therapy: the conservative approach.

Airway obstruction secondary to bleeding from warfarin therapy is difficult to manage and uncommon but has been previously described. Previous reports have emphasized the need for reversal of therapy using vitamin K and fresh frozen plasma (FFP). Where a definitive airway has been required, cricothyroidotomy or tracheostomy seem to have been favoured.