New research offers insight into oral cancer, chronic pediatric ear infections, and hearing healthJune 02, 2008New research exemplifies wide variety of issues addressed by ENTs Alexandria, VA - Three new studies published in the June 2008 edition of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery focus on what role gender plays in the prognosis of oral tongue cancer, chronic ear infections in children, and the success rates of hearing aid implants in the elderly. "These studies are prime examples of the wide variety of critical research being undertaken every day by otolaryngologist-head and neck surgeons; research that will improve physicians' ability to provide the best patient care for the ear, nose, throat, head and neck," said journal editor Richard M. Rosenfeld, MD.
Researchers at the University of Milano-Bicocca, Italy, found that although oral cancer is more prevalent in men, in their study group of 71 women and 142 men diagnosed with tongue cancer, gender did not influence prognosis. Based on this, the researchers concluded that employing a less aggressive course of treatment in female patients due to their gender was not justified. A second study looks into speech performance when using digital hearing aids of the "young elderly" (65-80) compared with older elderly people (over 80). In this study by Taiwanese researchers, 59 patients with hearing loss and digital hearing aids were divided into two groups based on age. The study showed that age played no role in the improvement of a patient's ability to hear, with both groups exhibiting improved performance in the four months following the hearing aid fitting. The authors believe that based on this research, physicians should not view age as a limiting factor as to whether to fit older patients with hearing aids. A third study focuses on pediatric care, looking into the cause and treatment of chronic ear infections where fluid is present behind the ear drum (otitis media with effusion). Results from this study, conducted by Australian researchers, indicate that the presence of intracellular bacteria in the middle ear plays an important role in the development of inflamed tissue and mucus in the area. Therefore, according to researchers, using antibiotics that specifically target intracellular bacteria may prove to be a more effective course of treatment. American Academy of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Related Ear Infection Current Events and Ear Infection News Articles Chronic ear infections linked to increased obesity risk Ear infections are a painful rite of passage for many children. New research suggests the damage caused by chronic ear infections could be linked to people's preference for fatty foods, which increases their risk of being overweight as they age. Fears about complications shouldn't drive antibiotic prescribing Antibiotics are not justified to reduce the risk of complications after upper respiratory tract infection, sore throat, or ear infection, finds a study published on bmj.com today. Ear infection superbug discovered to be resistant to all pediatric antibiotics Researchers have discovered a strain of bacteria resistant to all approved drugs used to fight ear infections in children, according to an article to be published tomorrow in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). Obesity may be linked to middle ear effusions in children Childhood obesity may be associated with a condition known as otitis media with effusion, which consists of fluid build-up in the middle ear space without symptoms of acute ear infection, according to a report in the April issue of Archives of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. Vaccine can help reduce frequent ear infections in children, research shows A vaccine has been shown to help reduce the number of infants and toddlers developing frequent ear infections. Viral enzyme recruited in fight against ear infection Parents might one day give their children a weekly treatment with a nasal spray of virus enzymes to prevent them from getting a severe middle ear infection, based on results of a study done in mice by investigators from St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and The Rockefeller University in New York. Breast-feeding overcomes a genetic tendency toward ear infections, scientists discover Breast-feeding protects children otherwise made susceptible to ear infections by abnormalities in specific human genes, researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston have discovered. Rockhampton part of worldwide fight against respiratory infections The new Capricornia Centre for Mucosal Immunology has been established under the leadership of Professor Jennelle Kyd, whose research on immunity and vaccines is recognized internationally. Study shows most ear infections host both bacteria and viruses Ear infections are among the most common diseases seen in pediatric practice. They have generally been considered bacterial diseases and are therefore usually treated with antibiotics. Wait-and-see approach for treating ear infections substantially reduces use of antibiotics For children with acute ear infections seen in an emergency department, giving parents the option of delaying use of antibiotics resulted in significantly lower use of antibiotics compared to parents who received a standard prescription, with little difference in the outcomes for the children. More Ear Infection Current Events and Ear Infection News Articles |
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