[Chronic non-allergic rhinitis. Etiology, diagnosis and treatment]. / Kronisk ikke-allergisk rhinitt. Arsaker, utredning og behandling.

Chronic rhinitis can be defined as an inflammation of the nasal mucosa lasting for more than three months. The condition may be due to allergy or infection, or to a number of non-allergic and non-infectious causes, such as trauma, hormonal imbalance, toxic influence or locally applied drugs. The etiology, diagnostic procedures and treatment of non-allergic chronic rhinitis are discussed.

[Physicians as leaders. Evaluation of a leadership training program for physicians (Medled)]. / Leger i ledelse. Evaluering av et lederutviklingsprogram for leger (Medled).

In September 1990, 40 doctors started a two year management training programme consisting of six one week courses organised by the Norwegian Medical Association. The programme was evaluated, and this article presents the results of two of the methods, used for evaluation: the first an interview with 12 participants, and the second a questionnaire answered by participants, colleagues at the same department and colleagues at other hospitals (a control group) before and after the course. Compared with colleagues from the same department and from the control group the participants had changed their attitude towards important questions of management. They had become more concerned about the importance of motivating the staff, that the department should give priority to the hospital's objectives in preference to own interests, and that the ultimate responsibility for the department should reside in one person and this person should be a doctor with a relevant specialty. The results of the questionnaire survey are confirmed by the results of the interviews. In addition the results of the interviews suggest that, during the management training programme, the participants had changed from an individual-oriented to a more group-oriented style of management.

Ear damage due to diving.

Diving injury may affect all parts of the ear during all types of diving. Divers are regularly exposed to noise and 120 dB(A) is measured during ventilation of a hyperbaric chamber. Ear canal squeeze, possibly with drum perforation, may give a transient conductive hearing loss. Middle ear squeeze, possibly with drum perforation, also gives a transient conductive loss. Inner ear barotrauma, possibly with perilymph fistula, most often results in transient vertigo and lasting sensorineural high tone loss, often resembling a noise-induced loss. Decompression sickness and gas embolism can also damage the inner ear. A change of breathing gas during deep diving has damaged the labyrinth, most likely due to counter diffusion. The authors have seen two cases of over window perilymph fistula resulting from diving. One of them also suffered a burst ear drum on the same side. His hearing returned to normal after surgical repair.