B-ENT
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Comparative study of complete nasal packing with and without airways.
To study and compare the effects of complete nasal packing and nasal packing with airways (uni/bilateral) on blood pressure, arterial oxygen saturation, middle ear pressure, and post-operative subjective complaints. ⋯ Nasal packing with an airway may help to reduce post operative morbidity and reduce the risk of hypoxemia.
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Case Reports
Laryngeal foreign body aspiration misdiagnosed as asthma: two case reports and a review of the literature.
Children who aspirate a foreign body initially present with choking and subsequently present with respiratory syndrome symptoms. However, foreign body aspiration can mimic other illnesses, causing some difficulties in diagnosis. ⋯ Foreign body aspiration should be considered a differential diagnosis for asthma. The delay in diagnosis could have been avoided by paying more attention to the medical history and by performing a more through initial examination.
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Recent advances in technology and techniques in neurosurgery and otolaryngology have revolutionised skull base surgery with the introduction of endoscopic endonasal approaches. One of the greatest limitations of endoscopic endonasal skull base surgery is the repair of osteodural defects. Numerous reconstructive techniques have been developed that maximise endoscopic endonasal approach efficacy and minimise complications. ⋯ Free tissue transfer remains the mainstay for the reconstruction of smaller defects. However, local vascularised flaps and the nasoseptal flap in particular now play a pivotal role in the reconstruction of larger defects. These flaps have significantly reduced the morbidity and risk of post-operative CSF leaks after endoscopic endonasal approaches.
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Gustatory testing for clinicians. By contrast with the evaluation of olfactory function, which has been standardised for almost two decades, the clinical assessment of gustatory function with psychophysical and objective testing is still in its infancy. ⋯ There are now validated tests available for simple quick scans of gustatory function but debate continues about the extent to which such tests can be used for medico-legal purposes. In addition to emerging measures such as gustatory event-related potentials and functional imaging, routine objective gustatory testing will be needed in the future.
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Olfactory dysfunction is deemed to be a significant contributor to poor quality of life in different nasal inflammatory conditions like common cold, allergic rhinitis, and acute and chronic rhinosinusitis with and without nasal polyps (NP). The mechanism underlying olfactory impairment in inflammatory sinonasal disease relates to either the obstruction of the olfactory cleft due to congestion of the nasal mucosa, the presence of secretions or polyps inside the nasal cavity, or to dysfunction of the sensory mucosa of the olfactory bulb resulting from local inflammation. The reduction of smell capacity in nasal inflammatory conditions may have an acute or gradual onset, often with resolution of smell dysfunction after adequate medical treatment or surgery. ⋯ Most studies have looked at corticosteroids, evaluating the restoration of olfactory capacity as a primary or secondary study outcome parameter. Both nasal and systemic corticosteroids have a beneficial effect on olfactory dysfunction, with systemic treatment being the most powerful. This review aims to provide an overview of current knowledge about medical treatment for rhinosinusitis and its effects on smell.