Effect of chronic suppurative otitis media in infancy and early childhood on developmental outcome

A main indication for the treatment of chronic suppurative otitis media in infants and young children is that this condition may cause lasting impairments of language, cognitive, and psychosocial development. However, evidence of such relations is inconclusive. 350 children with bilateral chronic suppurative otitis media and having their ages ranging from 9 months to 5 years were enrolled in this study. After full otolaryngological evaluation, 102 children having their ages ranging from 2.5 to 3 years old with persistent or recurrent bilateral ear discharge for more than a year and started their ear discharge at the age of 2-9 months old were selected and referred for developmental assessment after audiological assessment. Fifty normal children with the same age group were included as control. Developmental assessment included language, cognition, and psychosocial development. Developmental Quotient [D.Q] of language development showed a barely significant difference between the group of chronic suppurative otitis media and the control group, while the D.Q. scores of cognition and psychosocial development as well as their mean D.Q. showed no difference. Bilateral chronic suppurative otitis media and ear discharge for more than one year in infancy and early childhood does not measurably affect the developmental outcomes in children at the age of three years despite the slightly affected language development

Olfaction in workers exposed to cadmium

To determine whether olfactory function is impaired or not in industrial workers chronically exposed to cadmium. Fifty-two workers divided into two groups, smokers and non-smokers, and working in the production and maintenance of cadmium-nickel batteries had their blood cadmium level measured and their sense of smell tested using the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test [UPSIT]. UPSIT scores revealed significant olfactory impairment in the smokers who were found to have an average score of 24.63 +/- 4.81 [severe microsmia] compared to the nonsmokers who were found to have an average score of 32.9 1 +/- 3.53 [mild microsmia] and this difference was statistically significant [p<0.0005]. This difference could be attributed to the significant difference in blood cadmium level between both groups [p<0.0005], being higher in the smokers group [average = 0.07 +/- 0.03] compared to the non-smokers group which was within normal range [average = 0.02 +/- 0.01]; the source of excess cadmium here could be from the tobacco and not the duration of exposure as there was no significant difference between the two groups as regards the duration of employment [p<0.182]. Also, in the smokers group there was a strong inverse correlation between the UPSIT score on one side, and blood cadmium level and smoking index on the other side and this was statistically significant [r=-0.625 and -0.672 respectively], but no correlation was found between the UPSIT score and duration of employment [r=-0.066]. Smokers occupationally exposed to cadmium are at a higher risk of having impaired olfaction, compared to the non-smokers

Radiofrequency assisted lingual tonsillectomy

Ten patients [six males and four females] with ages ranged from 14 to 49 years were treated for lingual tonsil diseases. Eight patients had symptoms related to recurrent lingual tonsillitis and only two patients had symptoms related to lingual tonsil hyperplasia. A management of their conditions was done by ablation of the lingual tonsil tissue using the bipolar ENTec Coblator, which is a quind of bipolar radiofrequency surgery. It was found that the postoperative pain and odynophagia were minimal and the patients were able to regain their normal daily activities within very few days with no incident of postoperative infection or hemorrhage. There was an observable 50% or more reduction in the size of the lingual tonsils over a four-week duration period with the majority of patients [eight out of ten] having a marked improvement or disappearance of their preoperative complaints, although this point should be observed and evaluated over a longer duration in future studies

Post-tonsillectomy morbidity in adults: the role of local injection of a corticosteroid [diprofos]

The objective of this study was to determine whether it is safe and effective to inject a corticosteroid with a dual action [a short- acting and a long-acting effect] diprofos locally in the tonsillar pillars in order to control and reduce post-tonsillectomy pain in adults. Two groups of patients, 30 patients each, were included in the study. One group had pre-incision injection of diprofos in the anterior pillar, while the other group served as a control group i.e. without injection. The study concluded that intraoperative local injection of diprofos can control and reduce the pain to a great extent

Olfaction in patients with allergic rhinitis

Sixty patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis whose ages ranged from 26-58 years and composed of 30 males [mean age 38 +/- 8.8 years] and 30 females [mean age 37.5 +/- 7.2 years] were tested for their olfaction acuity using the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test, It was shown that there was a significant loss of smell in both genders, being more in females, that is getting worse with aging and longer duration of allergic rhinitis symptoms. There was a significant difference between male and female scores with the females being moderately hyposmic [mean UPSIT score 33 +/- 4.1], while the males were mildly hyposmic [mean UPSIT score 29.7 +/- 6.4]. No significant difference between either the ages or the allergy duration of both genders was found. Smell loss in patients with allergic rhinitis per se could be attributed to the inflammatory mediators and neurotoxins, released during the allergy process, damaging the neuroepithelium that is covered by abnormal quantity and quality of mucus and aggravated by the recurrent attacks of upper respiratory tract infections to which the patients are more susceptible