RESUMO
Allergic rhinitis [AR] represents a global health problem, affecting 5-50% of the population worldwide and numerous classes of pharmacological agents are available for its treatment. Two more popular of these drugs are Loratadine and Cetirizine. There are few direct comparator studies between these two drugs with inconsistent results. A randomized, double-blind study for comparison the therapeutic effects of Loratadine and Cetirizine was conducted in an otolaryngologic clinic of a general hospital. Eighty patients with perennial allergic rhinitis were divided into two equal groups. One group received Loratadine 10 mg daily for two weeks and the other group Cetirizine 10 mg daily also for two weeks. Alterations of the allergic rhinitis symptoms including rhinorrhea, sneezing, nasal itching and nasal obstruction were compared between the two groups. Severity of all four studied symptoms was reduced by both drugs. Although Cetirizine had a little more efficacy, their difference was not statistically significant [P>0.05]. These two medications were most effective in reducing the sneezing and least effective on the nasal obstruction. Loratadine and Cetirizine can reduce symptoms of the perennialallergic rhinitis but their difference is not statistically significant
RESUMO
Objectives: The aim of present study was evaluation of saccular function in cochlear implant candidates with severe to profound sensory neural hearing loss. Before and after cochlear implantation
Methods: In this study 35 Cochlear Implant [CI] candidates with bilateral severe to profound sensory neural hearing loss before and about 30 days after cochlear implantation and 20 normal-hearing cases as a control group underwent VEMP test. Both groups were matched based on gender and age.
Results: VEMP responses were absent bilaterally in 10 out of 35 patients. 4 patients were excluded from the study because they did not receive CI during present study. From 21 remaining patients, 5 cases lost VEMP response in their implanted ear after surgery. In control group, VEMP responses were present bilaterally.
Discussion: The results of present study show that saccular dysfunction in CI candidates is extremely probable and this is possible that saccule get impaired after CI.