American journal of otolaryngology
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To show that cardinal signs of upper airway obstruction are characteristically absent in the early phases of potentially fatal supraglottitis. ⋯ In the early phases of acute supraglottitis, the most reliable indicator of impending airway obstruction is a rapidly developing severe sore throat. Dyspnea, tachypnea, retractions, stridor, and cyanosis are manifestations of advanced stages of the infection and should not be awaited to determine the need for airway intervention.
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Prosthetic voice restoration is an increasingly popular method of postlaryngectomy voice rehabilitation. Despite its success in non-tonal languages, the efficacy of tracheoesophageal speech in tonal languages was largely unknown. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the long-term results of voice rehabilitation using a Blom-Singer valve (BSV) in the tonal language of Cantonese. ⋯ Primary TEP is an established method of voice rehabilitation after total laryngectomy. In our series, 52% patients achieved functional tracheoesophageal speech using a BSV.