European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery
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Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol · May 2014
ReviewInner ear damage following electric current and lightning injury: a literature review.
Audiovestibular sequelae of electrical injury, due to lightning or electric current, are probably much more common than indicated in literature. The aim of the study was to review the impact of electrical injury on the cochleovestibular system. Studies were identified through Medline, Embase, CINAHL and eMedicine databases. ⋯ The pathophysiology of cochleovestibular damage following electrical injury is unresolved. The mechanism of injury following lightning strike is likely to be quite different from that following domestic or industrial electrical injury. The formulation of an audiovestibular management protocol for patients who have suffered electrical injuries and systematic reporting of all such events is recommended.
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Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol · Mar 2014
ReviewEnhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) strategies: possible advantages also for head and neck surgery patients?
Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) programs have recently been developed in order to reduce morbidity, improve recovery, and shorten hospital stays of surgical patients. Since the 1990 s, ERAS programs have been successfully applied in many centres, especially in northern Europe and America, to perioperative management for colorectal surgery, vascular surgery, thoracic surgery, and then also to urological and gynaecologic surgery. Purpose of this paper is to evaluate and discuss the very recent introduction of ERAS programs also in head and neck surgery. ⋯ There are still no reports concerning the results of the application of ERAS protocols in the head and neck field. ERAS programs, however, could offer also to head and neck surgery patients an advantage in terms of fastening recovery, reducing hospital stay, and favouring early return to daily activities after hospital discharge. Therefore, the investigation of specific ERAS protocol in head and neck surgery patients should be encouraged.
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Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol · Feb 2013
Review Meta AnalysisSystematic review and meta-analysis of the use of tranexamic acid in tonsillectomy.
Post-tonsillectomy haemorrhage is a serious complication that can lead to death despite the fact that tonsillectomy is one of the commonest procedures performed in otolaryngology. Post-operative haemorrhage can be reduced by a potent antifibrinolytic agent such as tranexamic acid (TXA). This systematic review aims to evaluate the role of TXA in tonsillectomy. ⋯ TXA does not reduce the number of patients with post-tonsillectomy haemorrhage significantly (RR = 0.51, 95 % CI 0.25 to 1.07, p = 0.08). TXA led to a significant reduction of tonsillectomy blood loss volume but had no impact on the rate of patients with post-tonsillectomy haemorrhage. This systematic review demonstrated that most studies were conducted before 1980; therefore, a new, large and well-designed randomised controlled trial is needed to investigate the risks and benefits of TXA.
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Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol · Nov 2012
ReviewThe posterior glottis: structural and clinical considerations.
Despite the presence of a number of good publications during the past two decades, the posterior glottis (PG) is still not clearly appreciated in clinical laryngological practice. This study focuses on searching the literature to find out the present day awareness of the PG, as well as highlighting some of its clinical features. The investigation proceeds with two main sections: (1) critical analysis of the literature on the PG during the last 50 years (2) describing the clinical appearance and behavior of the PG in 100 normal subjects. ⋯ Results of section 2 illustrate some misconcepts related to the PG as inter-arytenoid pachydermia, change of voice with lesions in the PG. Discussion elaborates on the significance of the findings and attempts to clarify certain misconcepts about the PG, its structure, function, and clinical features. In the light of the data collected from the literature regarding the dimensions of the PG, a set of recommendations were proposed regarding the optimal sizes of the endotracheal tubes in both sexes.
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Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol · Jun 2011
Review Meta AnalysisHemorrhage rate after coblation tonsillectomy: a meta-analysis of published trials.
After the surgical procedure of tonsillectomy, hemorrhage ranks among its serious postoperative complications. In this systematic review, we analyze hemorrhage following tonsillectomies performed using the coblation technique. 24 prospective, randomized, and controlled studies were included in the meta-analysis. ⋯ Overall, the total hemorrhage rate for the coblation procedure was 4.1% with a 95% confidence interval from 2.8 to 5.5%. The overall hemorrhage rate of 4.1% found in this meta-analysis shows that coblation is a safe and effective technique for tonsillectomies with a secondary bleeding rate similar to what is reported for comparable techniques such as bipolar diathermia.