Quality assurance in an ear, nose and throat department in Saudi Arabia. A surgical audit.

Quality assurance (QA) in health care is being introduced in developing countries also. However, QA still meets resistance from some clinicians. A prospective voluntary surgical audit was set up in the ENT department of a university teaching hospital in Saudi Arabia. Roles, responsibilities and objectives were defined and designated facilities were provided. There were 2125 admissions and 2389 operations in a 3-yr period. The stated objectives were achieved concerning resource management, post-graduate training, and, especially, the successful establishment of surgical audit as an on-going and open-forum activity in a developing country. We conclude that other clinicians can feel encouraged by our positive experience and implement QA.

Paediatric foreign bodies: the lessons of failure and near misses.

In this series of seven uncommon and complicated cases of foreign bodies in the aerodigestive tract of children, the difficulties in the management, and complications encountered are described. Various factors affecting the outcome of these cases have been highlighted.