International journal of pediatric otorhinolaryngology
-
Int. J. Pediatr. Otorhinolaryngol. · Jul 2014
The strengths and weaknesses in verbal short-term memory and visual working memory in children with hearing impairment and additional language learning difficulties.
To compare verbal short-term memory and visual working memory abilities of six children with congenital hearing-impairment identified as having significant language learning difficulties with normative data from typically hearing children using standardized memory assessments. ⋯ Each of the six participants in this study displayed the same pattern of strengths and weaknesses in verbal short-term memory and visual working memory despite their very different chronological ages. The children's poor ability to recall single syllable words in relation to non-words is a clinical indicator of their difficulties in verbal short-term memory. However, the children with hearing-impairment do not display generalized processing difficulties and indeed demonstrate strengths in visual working memory. The poor ability to recall words, in combination with difficulties with early word learning may be indicators of children with hearing-impairment who will struggle to develop spoken language equal to that of their normally hearing peers. This early identification has the potential to allow for target specific intervention that may remediate their difficulties.
-
Int. J. Pediatr. Otorhinolaryngol. · Jul 2014
Randomized Controlled TrialPain management following myringotomy and tube placement: intranasal dexmedetomidine versus intranasal fentanyl.
Despite the brevity of the procedure, bilateral myringotomy and tympanostomy tube placement (BMT) can result in significant postoperative pain and discomfort. As the procedure is frequently performed without intravenous access, non-parenteral routes of administration are frequently used for analgesia. The current study prospectively compares the efficacy of intranasal (IN) dexmedetomidine with IN fentanyl for children undergoing BMT. ⋯ Following BMT, when no premedication is administered, there was no clinical advantage when comparing IN dexmedetomidine (1 μg/kg) to IN fentanyl (2 μg/kg). The addition of oral midazolam as a premedication worsened the outcome measures particularly for children receiving IN dexmedetomidine.