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New anticoagulants, a new book and old gags

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 March 2016

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Abstract

Type
Editorial
Copyright
Copyright © JLO (1984) Limited 2016 

There can be few ENT surgeons who have not felt a sense of confusion when faced with a patient receiving regular treatment with one of the new oral anticoagulant drugs in a difficult case of epistaxis or in a case where the individual is scheduled for surgery. The paper by Kumar and Moorthy attempts to relieve this confusion and is most welcome.Reference Kumar and Moorthy1 They advise liaison with haematology colleagues and encourage protocols within trusts. This article complements the survey of venous thromboembolism prophylaxis by Nash et al.Reference Nash, Randhawa and Saeed2 and the audit of epistaxis management,Reference Hall3 both of which were published in The Journal of Laryngology & Otology last year.

For those with a bent for medical history, Rice's paper on the history of the tonsillectomy gag, inspired by a Barbara Hepworth painting, is a good place to start in the study of tonsillectomy history.Reference Rice4 Last year's paper of Lamprell and Ahluwalia is a run down of the named instruments on the tonsillectomy tray, which all staff should be familiar with.Reference Lamprell and Ahluwalia5

Implant science continues its onward march, and this issue contains papers that: compare an active middle-ear implant with conventional aids in mixed hearing loss,Reference Savaş, Gündüz, Karamert, Cevizci, Düzlü and Tutar6 investigate the preservation of hearing and cochlear structures in implanted children,Reference Skarzynski, Matusiak, Lorens, Furmanek, Pilka and Skarzynski7 and examine the use of implants in superficial siderosis.Reference Omichi, Kariya, Maeda and Nishizaki8

The old chestnut: the conundrum of voice versus airway in laser cordotomy is assessed by Asik et al. in a case series that showed the usual voice versus airway trade-off, with a more detailed analysis than usual of both voice and airway.Reference Asik, Karasimav, Birkent, Merati, Gerek and Yildiz9

Finally, after many years of waiting, we have an updated, manageable, single-volume ENT textbook that reflects UK practice, and which carries on a proud tradition of Scottish ENT education: the new Logan Turner's Diseases of the Nose, Throat and Ear: Head and Neck Surgery. This textbook is reviewed in The Journal.Reference Flood10 The old edition of the textbook was a mainstay of examination candidates' revision and this new ‘bible’ should fill that role admirably.

References

1Kumar, S, Moorthy, R. New oral anticoagulants – a guide for ENT surgeons. J Laryngol Otol 2016;130:324–8CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
2Nash, R, Randhawa, N, Saeed, SR. Venous thromboembolism prophylaxis in ENT surgery: a survey of current practice. J Laryngol Otol 2015;129:164–7Google Scholar
3Hall, AC, Blanchford H, Chatrath P, Hopkins C. A multi-centre audit of epistaxis management in England: is there a case for a national review of practice? J Laryngol Otol 2015;129:454–7CrossRefGoogle Scholar
4Rice, JC. Garnet Passe and the tonsillectomy gag. J Laryngol Otol 2016;130:329–31Google Scholar
5Lamprell, L, Ahluwalia, S. Who has been hiding in your tonsillectomy tray? Eponymous instruments in tonsillectomy surgery. J Laryngol Otol 2015;129:307–13Google Scholar
6Savaş, VA, Gündüz, B, Karamert, R, Cevizci, R, Düzlü, M, Tutar, H et al. Comparison of Carina active middle-ear implant with conventional hearing aids for mixed hearing loss. J Laryngol Otol 2016;130:340–3CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
7Skarzynski, H, Matusiak, M, Lorens, A, Furmanek, M, Pilka, A, Skarzynski, PH. Preservation of cochlear structures and hearing when using the Nucleus Slim Straight (CI422) electrode in children. J Laryngol Otol 2016;130:332–9Google Scholar
8Omichi, R, Kariya, S, Maeda, Y, Nishizaki, K. Cochlear implantation is a therapeutic option for superficial siderosis patients with sensorineural hearing loss. J Laryngol Otol 2016;130:408–11CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
9Asik, MB, Karasimav, O, Birkent, H, Merati, AL, Gerek, M, Yildiz, Y. Impact of unilateral carbon dioxide laser posterior transverse cordotomy on vocal and aerodynamic parameters in bilateral vocal fold paralysis. J Laryngol Otol 2016;130:373–9Google Scholar
10Flood, LM. Logan Turner's Diseases of the Nose, Throat and Ear: Head and Neck Surgery, 11th edn.J Laryngol Otol 2016;130:415–6Google Scholar