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Biomedical subjects

R J England

Publications and source records attributed to R J England.

16 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2000

Accuracy of patient self-medication with topical eardrops.

Topical eardrops are commonly prescribed by otolaryngologists and general practitioners and many believe that patient compliance is poor, although this has not been studied in a properly controlled manner. Thirty-nine patients with otitis externa were reviewed four times during a two-week course of topical eardrops and their treatment compliance studied. The patients tended to undermedicate themselves, and this tendency increased over the two-week period. Patients were administering significantly fewer drops by the end of day 11 than by the end of day 3 (p = 0.2). Compliance patterns were extremely poor, in that only 40 per cent of patients were managing to self-medicate within a 25 per cent error margin by the end of day 3. These findings may have future implications in the ongoing debate on eardrop use.

Administration, Topical↗
PubMed2000

The effectiveness of topical treatment in discharging ears with in-dwelling ventilation tubes.

The efficacy and tolerability of topical treatment (both drops and spray) in the treatment of otorrhoea in those ears with ventilation tubes in-situ was studied. Sixty patients were randomised into two treatment groups. One group used an antibacterial/anti-inflammatory ear drop preparation (Otosporin) and the other group a similar preparation administered as an ear spray (Otomize). A 'blind' clinical assessment was made one and three weeks after commencing treatment. Both treatments (drops and spray) significantly improved patients' symptoms and signs after one week (p < 0.001). The spray was significantly easier to administer (p < 0.01) and caused less discomfort on application (p < 0.02).

Administration, Topical↗
PubMed2000

Nasal pH and saccharin clearance are unrelated in the physiologically normal nose.

A group of 56 asymptomatic non-smoking men was prospectively recruited to study the relationship between nasal mucosal pH and saccharin clearance rate. No significant relationship was found between the two variables (Pearson correlation coefficient = -.105, p = 0.44). This finding suggests that in vivo mucociliary flow rates are resistant to change within the pH range of the physiologically normal nose.

Humans↗
PubMed2000

Does indermil glue improve success rates in myringoplasty? Interim analysis of a prospective trial.

The success rates of myringoplasty vary in the literature from 65 to 97.5 percent. Various reasons for failure are cited, one being failure of the graft to act as an adequate scaffold due to its falling away from the edge of the perforation. The potential role of adhesives in myringoplasty has been described but not objectively assessed. A group of 15 patients with a perforation of the tympanic membrane present for at least 6 months was prospectively recruited. All patients underwent myringoplasty using underlayed temporalis fascia. In each case the graft was spot welded to the edge of the perforation using Indermil (n-butyl cyanoacrylate) glue. At mean 7.7 months post operatively 14 grafts are intact (93%) and all patients have audiometric improvement (p < 0.01). These results are better then those from national audit statistics in the UK using conventional methods suggesting this technique is very promising. The technique and results are described.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Nasal pH measurement: a reliable and repeatable parameter.

The nasal mucosal pH is approximately 5.5-6.5, and increases in rhinitis to 7.2-8.3. This knowledge has not led to the widespread measurement of the nasal mucosal pH as an objective clinical parameter. The purpose of this study was to assess whether repeatable measures of nasal mucosal pH could be obtained in the clinical setting. Fifty-four adults without nasal symptoms were prospectively recruited. Using a semi-disposable antimony pH catheter, the nasal mucosal pH was measured in four specific areas of the nose and each reading repeated three times. The patients' age, sex, smoking habits, nasal anatomical variation and clearest nostril at the time of measurement were also recorded. The data shows that it is possible to obtain reliable and repeatable values for the pH of the nasal mucosa (Spearman-Brown R = 0.84). Analysis shows there is no significant difference between septal and turbinate mucosal pH. Subset analysis implies that nasal mucosal pH is higher in men then women (P < 0.05). The other variables did not affect the nasal mucosal pH significantly.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Angular cheilitis after tonsillectomy.

The operation of tonsillectomy requires the oral cavity to be held open mechanically in an unconscious patient, and intra-oral instrumentation to occur. Angular cheilitis may arise as a result of this after operation. This can cause morbidity and delay the re-establishment of a normal diet. The aim of this study was to identify what factors increase the likelihood of developing this problem postoperatively. Sixty patients were randomly selected in a prospective manner. Preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative variables were recorded. The frequency of development of postoperative angular cheilitis was recorded. The prevalence of the condition was related to the prerecorded variables. Parametric analysis showed that the chance of developing angular cheilitis was directly related to the use of diathermy haemostasis (P = 0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that the odds ratio of developing this complication if diathermy was used is 3.5 (95% confidence intervals 0.99, 12.4) and operation difficulty may also be a relevant variable. No other recorded variables were found to be significant.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

The effect of pH of douching solutions on mucociliary clearance.

The effect of the pH of hypertonic saline nasal douching solutions on mucociliary clearance was studied in order to investigate the common notion that such solutions should be buffered alkaline. Thirty normal subjects were included in a randomised controlled crossover trial. Mucociliary clearance was measured by the saccharin clearance time. There was no difference in mucociliary clearance after douching with a non-buffered solution and a solution buffered to pH 8. However both solutions significantly improved mucociliary clearance compared to the baseline (P < 0.001) probably on account of their hypertonicity.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Temporalis fascia grafts shrink.

Temporalis fascia, placed as an underlay graft, is commonly used to repair tympanic membrane perforations. Graft failure, however, is a well recognized complication. Grafts are often allowed to dry out during the procedure and, therefore, are often positioned in a dry or partially dehydrated state and only become fully rehydrated after placement. This study looked at how the size of the temporalis fascia alters with its state of hydration. The size of 20 temporalis fascia grafts was measured when fresh, after flattening and allowing them to dry, and finally after rehydrating the grafts with 0.9 per cent saline solution. Significant shrinkage was demonstrated. It is therefore proposed that a cause of increased failure rates, particularly in anterior myringoplasties, is loss of underlay due to graft rehydration and shrinkage. Thus graft shrinkage should be considered when positioning the graft.

Dehydration↗
PubMed1997

Streptococcal tonsillitis and its association with psoriasis: a review.

Lancefield group A streptococcal upper respiratory tract infections are well known to be precursors of a number of disease processes. That they frequently herald a first attack of guttate psoriasis or a reactivation of chronic plaque psoriasis is well recognized, though this is perhaps more true among dermatologists than otolaryngologists. This paper briefly summarizes the historical background, recent research into, and current understanding of the connection between the two pathological phenomena.

Humans↗
PubMed1996

The posterior cricoarytenoid ligaments and their relationship to the cadaveric position of the vocal cords.

Much debate has occurred over the last century regarding the reason for the cadaveric position of the membranous vocal cord. This study attempts to identify the determining factors of the position of the vocal cord. Serial dissection of 36 cadaveric larynges was carried out and laryngeal measurements taken. The cadaveric position of the vocal cords was correlated to that of the posterior cricoarytenoid ligaments and it was found that the two were directly related. The study shows that the major determinant of the position of the denervated vocal cord is the position of the posterior cricoarytenoid ligament.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Conservative neck surgery in squamous cell carcinoma.

Squamous cell carcinoma of the upper aerodigestive tract metastasises to lymph nodes in the upper-deep cervical group. Control of these metastases is the single most important prognostic factor in the management of this disease. Traditionally, surgical control was achieved by the radical neck dissection, a mutilating procedure with significant morbidity. Contemporary research has led to an improved understanding of the patterns of nodal metastases. This has led to the evolution of more conservative techniques that still produce comparable results of control. This paper describes this evolutionary process, and the current management thinking.

Carcinoma, Squamous Cell↗