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Biomedical subjects

A L Firth

Publications and source records attributed to A L Firth.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

The Bradford bone-anchored hearing aid programme: impact of the multidisciplinary team.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to assess the impact on implant survival, abutment skin reaction and patient satisfaction in patients implanted with a bone-anchored hearing aid (BAHA), following the introduction of a multidisciplinary team (MDT) in 1997. DESIGN AND METHODS: Part prospective and retrospective analysis. Implant survival and cause of failures were recorded along with abutment skin reaction (graded as none, mild, moderate and severe, according to the amount of wound care required). Patient satisfaction and quality of life were assessed using a questionnaire enquiring about several aspects of the use and benefits of their BAHA. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Eighty patients treated at the Bradford Royal Infirmary between 1991 and 2005. The unit is a recognized tertiary referral centre. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Twelve out of 80 implants failed, giving an overall failure rate of 15 per cent. Kaplan-Meier survival curves show a steady decrease in implant survival. The MDT had a positive effect on implant survival and adverse skin reactions, with a higher proportion of patients experiencing no reaction after its introduction. There was a 92.5 per cent response rate to the questionnaire. Overall patient satisfaction was high, both before and after the introduction of the MDT.

Adolescent↗

Periorbital swelling: the important distinction between allergy and infection.

Orbital cellulitis and abscess formation are rare complications of sinusitis, however acute orbital inflammation is secondary to sinusitis in about 70% of cases. Delay in diagnosis must not occur to avoid serious complications such as blindness and life threatening intracranial sepsis. A case is reported in which despite late referral, emergency surgical intervention was sight saving.

Adolescent↗

Dentures may be radiolucent.

Diagnosing ingested dental prostheses can be difficult and delays in treatment may result in serious complications. Patients often present with a vague history and very few reliable clinical signs. In addition, the fact that dental plates are often radiolucent may lead to the diagnosis being overlooked with disastrous consequences. A case of successful diagnosis and treatment is presented, and the importance of a high index of clinical suspicion to avoid the morbidity and mortality associated with missed impacted dentures is discussed.

Deglutition↗