European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery
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Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol · Sep 2008
The AESOP robot system for video-assisted rigid endoscopic laryngosurgery.
Surgeons may occasionally encounter difficulty in visualizing the whole larynx with a direct laryngoscope. In such cases, rigid endoscopic laryngosurgery using a direct laryngoscope is an optimal solution. Multidirectional examination of the larynx using rigid endoscopes during direct laryngoscopy, leads to better control and management of the ventricle, inferior surface of the vocal fold and subglottis, and the anterior commissure. ⋯ The operative equipment was the same for all procedures. We evaluated the acquisition of skills in controlling the AESOP 3000, the feasibility of a single surgeon performing procedures with this machine, and any advantages that it might offer to endolaryngeal surgery. The use of robotic devices improves the precision of surgical procedures, offering surgeons a more comfortable working position, particularly for longer procedures, and without an assistant to hold the camera.
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Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol · Aug 2008
Review Multicenter StudyForeign bodies in the upper airways causing complications and requiring hospitalization in children aged 0-14 years: results from the ESFBI study.
Foreign body (FB) aspiration/inhalation is a serious problem because it is still a cause of death in children, especially among those younger than 4 years. The objective of this paper is to characterize the risk of complications and prolonged hospitalization due to foreign bodies (FB) in the upper airways in terms of the characteristics of the injured patients (age, gender), typology and features of the FBs, the circumstances of the accident and the hospitalization details. A retrospective study in the major hospitals of 19 European countries was realized on injuries occurred in the years 2000-2002 and identified by means of the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) codes listed on hospital discharge records. ⋯ The most common FBs were nuts, seeds, berries, corn and beans. In general, small, round crunchy foods pose a risk of choking. Since prevention is the most essential key to deal with these types of injuries, more effort in caregivers' public education is warranted.
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Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol · Jun 2008
Comparative StudyEffects of oxymetazoline on isolated rat's tracheal smooth muscle.
Oxymetazoline is often used as a decongestant in rhinitis patients who are suffering from nasal obstruction. It is used as a nasal drop or spray solution. The effect on nasal mucosa in vitro or in vivo is well known. ⋯ Oxymetazoline had negligible effect on the basal tension of trachea as the concentration increased. The degree of drug-induced tracheal contraction or relaxation was dose-dependent. The study indicated that high concentrations of oxymetazoline might actually antagonize cholinergic receptors of the trachea.
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Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol · Jun 2008
Comparative StudyParapharyngeal abscess: diagnosis and treatment.
To study the circumstances of diagnosis, predisposing factors, bacteriology and therapeutic management of parapharyngeal abscesses. This retrospective study over a period of 7 years concerned 16 patients hospitalized in an ENT and Head and Neck surgery department for parapharyngeal abscess. All patients were treated by intravenous antibiotics and steroids for 5-7 days. ⋯ The diagnosis is both clinical and radiologic. CT scan is the best imaging examination for diagnosis and follow-up of parapharyngeal abscess. Non-complicated parapharyngeal abscesses require first-line medical management (intravenous antibiotics (amoxicillin and clavulanic acid) combined with steroids) and follow-up CT scan.
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Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol · May 2008
Randomized Controlled TrialPeritonsillar infiltration with tramadol improves pediatric tonsillectomy pain.
Pain control in pediatric patients undergoing tonsillectomy remains a dilemma. Tramadol is reported to be an effective analgesic. This prospective, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study was performed to evaluate the analgesic efficacy and safety of submucosal infiltration of tramadol on postoperative pain in children after standard bipolar diathermy tonsillectomy. ⋯ Peritonsillar infiltration of tramadol (group 2) provided superior postoperative analgesia to placebo (group 1) for 4 h after surgery. In addition, group 1 received significantly more doses of paracetamol than group 2 in order to maintain analgesia in the first 12 h after recovery from anesthesia. Peritonsillar infiltration of tramadol appears to be an effective method of providing superior analgesia in the postoperative period when compared to placebo.