The Journal of laryngology and otology
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This survey investigates the attitudes of medical and nursing staff towards the daily otolaryngology ward rounds in a teaching hospital. Initial, open-ended questionnaires generated themes from which a structured questionnaire was constructed. Respondents indicated on a Likert scale the extent to which they agreed or disagreed with statements concerning their attitudes towards the ward round. ⋯ A significant majority of staff expressed concerns over maintenance of patient confidentiality. These findings could be used to inform changes in the departmental ward round structure. Specific attention should be directed to discussing sensitive issues in a more private setting and maximizing educational opportunities for junior medical staff.
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We investigated the possible role of hypotension and related autonomic phenomena in the pathogenic mechanism of sudden sensorineural hearing loss. ⋯ An induced and controlled steady hypotension under general anaesthesia did not affect the hearing function of any of the patients. It may be supposed, therefore, that an adverse effect on the cochlear oxygenation is more likely to be caused by the sympathetic changes induced by a consistent decrease of blood pressure rather than to hypotension itself.