Extended frequency range hearing thresholds and otoacoustic emissions in acute acoustic trauma.

Objective: We sought to evaluate the relative value of pure tone audiometry (PTA), extended high-frequency audiometry (EFA) and transiently evoked otoacoustic emissions (OAE) and distortion products when monitoring acute acoustic trauma (AAT).

Study Design: Controlled prospective clinical study.

Setting: Tertiary referral center.

Ex vivo assessment of chemotherapy-induced apoptosis and associated molecular changes in patient tumor samples.

Background: There are inherent conceptual problems in investigating the pharmacodynamics of cancer drugs in vivo. One of the few possible approaches is serial biopsies in patients. However, this type of research is severely limited by methodological and ethical constraints.

A new ossicle homograft inactivation/preservation procedure: clinical results.

A new NaOH-autoclaving inactivation/preservation procedure (IPP) for ossicle homografts, complying with the actual infectious disease guidelines, has been developed and used in our institution for 5 years. This study compares the clinical and audiological results of middle ear reconstruction using the new NaOH-autoclaving inactivated ossicle homografts (22 patients) and the previously used cialit-formaldehyde inactivation procedure (28 patients). During the follow-up period, no homograft extrusion, resorption or disease transmission was observed either for the NaOH-autoclaving or for the cialit-formaldehyde protocol.

Success and predictability of provox prosthesis voice rehabilitation.

Objectives: To determine the success rate and relating clinical factors of voice prosthesis rehabilitation and to analyze the discrimination ability of the multidimensional Harrison-Robillard-Shultz Tracheoesophageal Puncture Rating Scale (HRS Rating Scale).

Design: Prospective clinical study.

Setting: University Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospital Inselspital, Bern, Switzerland.