Intracranial complications of acute mastoiditis: Surgery not always necessary.

Introduction: Acute mastoiditis (AM) can rapidly become life-threatening with various intracranial complications. The standard care includes antibiotics, mastoidectomy, and drainage. Reports show varying preferences for conservative and surgical treatments, with a more conservative approach gaining popularity.

No difference in wound complications with or without a post-operative pressure dressing: Our experience in 135 children undergoing mastoidectomy.

Objectives: To assess the efficacy of avoiding mastoid pressure dressing (MPD) on children as a means of preventing discomfort and post-operative pain.

Design: A retrospective controlled study.

Setting: All operations were carried out by experienced surgeons using standard techniques, whose custom, not the gravity of any individual case, dictated the use of MPD.