Hot Topics in Head & Neck

As well as being a contant source of help / advice and direction to the H&N PDU, the Edge Hill Library and Information Resource Centre and the Head and Neck Academic Link from Edge Hill have been instrumental in the design and planning of the academic resource pages on this website.

This webpage, working alongside the Academic Resource page will select useful, interesting articles from contemporaneous litereture in the head and neck field.

The articles selected are only signposts providing a platform for research awareness and discussion amongst head and neck staff. The articles have not therefore recieved any formal appraisal by the Head and Neck PDU on their validity, methodology or usefulness in the workplace.

The page will select new articles from head and neck journals we can access online - through Athens. The articles will be selected on a fortnightly basis and don't worry if you miss one as an archive list will also be available.

Each selected article will have a brief abstract and possibly other reason for selection.

February 17th 2012

This article was selected by Paul Banks PDU Facilitator

Communicating with head and neck cancer patients

McGrory A. ORL Head Neck Nurs. 2011 Summer;29(3):7-11.
SourceSchool of Health and Environment University of Massachusetts-Lowell, USA.

This research article is a qualitative grounded theory piece on the effects of non verbal communuication issues with patients, carers and clinicians.

February 24th

This article was selected by Charlotte Halpin PDU Facilitator

Mechanisms of cisplatin ototoxicity and progress in otoprotection.

Rybak LP. Curr Opin Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2007 Oct;15(5):364-9.

Ototoxicity (Tinnitus / Hearing Loss) may occur within hours to days after treatment with Cisplatin. Understanding the mechanisms of cisplatin will permit the development of targeted therapy to prevent hearing loss.

March 2nd

This article was selected by Ida Ryland - Academic link

Willingness of facial injury patients to change causal substance using behaviors.
Murphy DA; Shetty V; Zigler C; Resell J; Yamashita DD - Substance Abuse: Official Publication Of The Association For Medical Education And Research In Substance Abuse [Subst Abus] 2010 Jan; Vol. 31 (1), pp. 35-42.

The data in this study is taken from completed interviews, standardised tests, and medical charts of patients who had presented with facial trauma.
A significant subset of patients presenting with facial trauma may have alcohol and substance use problems. The study discusses the association between substance use and injury as well as utilizing the opportunity to tie a patient's injury to their substance use therefore providing problem recognition and motivation for treatment.

March 21st

This article was selected by Mr Costas Mamais - ENT SpRegistrar

Educating surgical patients to reduce the risk of venous thromboembolism: an audit of an effective strategy.

Patient education is of paramount importance in reducing the risks of VTE perioperatively. A simple method of introducing patient education at pre-assessment clinic and as part of their discharge planning, for major elective surgery, is an effective system in improving patient understanding of VTE, its risk factors and the importance of prophylaxis. It may also increase compliance.

April 4th

This article was selected by Kimberley Wilson - Dietician

Outcomes after the use of gastrostomy tubes in patients whose head and neck cancer was managed with radiation therapy.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of continued oral intake and duration of gastrostomy tube placement on posttreatment nutritional outcomes in patients being irradiated for head and neck cancer.

CONCLUSION: The beneficial effects of continued oral intake and shorter gastrostomy tube placement on posttreatment outcomes shown in this study suggest that clinicians involved in these patients' care should emphasize oral intake during treatment.

April 17th

This article was selected by Paul Banks - PDU Facilitator

A comparison of motorcycle and bicycle accidents in oral and maxillofacial trauma.
Júnior SM, Santos SE, Kluppel LE, Asprino L, Moreira RW, de Moraes M.
Abstract
PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to present a large series of motorcycle- and bicycle-related traumas to the face in an attempt to identify the injury pattern in motorcyclists and bicyclists.

CONCLUSIONS: The high-impact collisions typically observed in motorcycle accidents is directly related to larger percentages of soft tissue lacerations and facial fractures. The low-impact trauma that is observed in bicycle accidents is more commonly associated with soft tissue abrasion, hematoma, and dentoalveolar fractures. This stresses the need for compulsory legislation for helmet use with face-guards for cyclists and motorcyclists. It is important to take measures to alert the public regarding the severity of injuries likely to occur in bicycle- and motorcycle-related accidents and ways to prevent them.

Article Searches

This page will also be a useful gateway for up to the minute pubmed searches on different issues in the head and neck field.

(1) Head and Neck Cancer Nursing' - Click here for the search link.

(2) Head and Neck Cancer Surgery - Click here for the search link.

(3) Head and Neck Physical Therapy Modalities - Click here for the search link

(4) Head and Neck - Otolaryngology - ENT - Click here for the search link