Paediatric otogenic cerebral venous sinus thrombosis: a multidisciplinary approach.

Background: Paediatric otogenic cerebral venous sinus thrombosis is a rare, heterogeneous and life-threatening condition, with possible otological, neurological and ophthalmological sequelae. Its course and outcomes can be widely variable. The publications available often consider individual aspects of paediatric otogenic cerebral venous sinus thrombosis management.

Cochlear implantation: a review of current clinical practice.

Cochlear implants treat severe hearing loss by providing direct electrical stimulation to auditory nerve endings. This article reviews the clinical assessment, surgical procedure and outcomes, and looks at newer developments such as preservation of residual hearing and bilateral implantation.

A randomised controlled trial assessing the efficacy of co-phenylcaine nasal spray in flexible transnasal pharyngolaryngoscopy.

INTRODUCTION The aim of this study was to assess whether using co-phenylcaine nasal spray before flexible transnasal pharyngolaryngoscopy results in reduced pain and discomfort during the procedure. METHODS This was a randomised controlled trial. Eighty-four patients were randomised to receive either co-phenylcaine nasal spray or placebo nasal spray before performing transnasal flexible pharyngolaryngoscopy.

Smartphone speech-to-text applications for communication with profoundly deaf patients.

Objective: Visual communication aids, such as handwriting or typing, are often used to communicate with deaf patients in the clinic. This study aimed to establish the feasibility of communicating through smartphone speech recognition software compared with writing or typing.

Method: Thirty doctors and medical students were timed writing, typing and dictating a standard set of six sentences appropriate for a post-operative consultation, and the results were assessed for accuracy and legibility.

Otitis externa.

Introduction: Otitis externa is thought to affect 10% of people at some stage, and can present in acute, chronic, or necrotising forms. Otitis externa may be associated with eczema of the ear canal, and is more common in swimmers, in humid environments, in people with narrow ear canals, in hearing-aid users, and after mechanical trauma.

Methods And Outcomes: We conducted a systematic review and aimed to answer the following clinical question: What are the effects of empirical treatments for otitis externa? We searched: Medline, Embase, The Cochrane Library, and other important databases up to October 2013 (Clinical Evidence reviews are updated periodically; please check our website for the most up-to-date version of this review).