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J Alexander de Ru

Publications and source records attributed to J Alexander de Ru.

5 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Odor and irritation thresholds for ammonia: a comparison between static and dynamic olfactometry.

Odor and lateralization (irritation) thresholds (LTs) for ammonia vapor were measured using static and dynamic olfactometry. The purpose of the study was to explore the test-retest reliability and comparability of dynamic olfactometry methodology, generally used to determine odor thresholds following European Committee for Standardization guidelines in the context of odor regulations to outside emissions, with static olfactometry. Within a 2-week period, odor and LTs for ammonia were obtained twice for each method for 24 females. No significant differences between methods were found: mean odor detection thresholds (ODTs) were 2.6 parts per million (ppm) for either method (P = 0.96), and mean LTs were 31.7 and 60.9 ppm for the static and dynamic method, respectively (P = 0.07). Test-retest reliability was higher for the dynamic than for the static method (r = 0.61 vs. 0.14 for ODTs and r = 0.86 vs. 0.45 for LTs). The choice of optimal method for any application, however, depends not only on psychometric factors but also on practical factors such as physicochemical properties of the compound, availability of equipment and expertise, task efficiency, and costs.

Ammonia↗
PubMed2006

Morbidity of parotid gland surgery: results 1 year post-operative.

Patients operated on for parotid gland tumours were evaluated prospectively to study morbidity after this procedure. Nowadays, major complications such as recurrence of tumour and permanent facial nerve paresis are rare after primary surgery. Therefore, this study especially takes minor complications such as Frey's syndrome and sensory deficits into account. The study documents morbidity in 45 patients who completed a 1 year follow-up. Among those with primary benign tumours, we found no recurrences and no permanent paresis, nor did starch-iodine testing reveal any cases of Frey's syndrome. However, two patients who had previously been operated on multiple times did test positive for Frey's syndrome, as did two others after surgery for malignancy. Furthermore, we found that patients whose posterior branch of the great auricular nerve was sacrificed had a larger area of sensory deficit than those whose nerve was preserved. We conclude that the morbidity of parotid gland surgery can be reduced further by giving minor complications more attention.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Grading facial nerve function: why a new grading system, the MoReSS, should be proposed.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the interobserver variability of a new grading system to the currently recommended House-Brackmann Grading Scale. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective case-control study. SETTING: Tertiary referral center. PATIENTS: All patients with a facial nerve paresis/paralysis (whatever the cause). INTERVENTION: All patients were evaluated for their facial nerve function by three observers, independently, using both the new system and the House-Brackmann Grading Scale. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: The level of agreement between the three observers using both scales. RESULTS: With the movement, rest, secondary defects, and subjective scoring grading scale, a higher percentage of agreement between the observers was noticed than with the House-Brackmann Grading Scale. CONCLUSION: The movement, rest, secondary defects, and subjective scoring grading system is more useful for grading facial nerve dysfunction in clinical practice than the House-Brackmann Grading Scale.

Case-Control Studies↗
PubMed2002

The location of parotid gland tumors in relation to the facial nerve on magnetic resonance images and computed tomography scans.

PURPOSE: The facial nerve, which cannot be visualized radiographically in its intraparotid part, divides the parotid gland into 2 lobes. When planning surgery, it is important to know where to locate a parotid gland tumor in relation to the facial nerve, because the location can influence the duration and difficulty of the operation. In this study, an anatomic line that predicts the course of the facial nerve in the parotid gland, is applied clinically and compared with another line recently described to evaluate the usefulness of both tools in the use of computed tomography scans and magnetic resonance images. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed 28 scans (15 computed tomography and 13 magnetic resonance) and used both lines to predict tumor location in the parotid gland. The accuracy of each prediction was checked later by referring to the surgical report. RESULTS: This new anatomic line helped us to correctly predict tumor location in relation to the facial nerve in 24 cases (85.7%), whereas the other line was helpful in 20 cases (71.4%). CONCLUSION: Our new line may be a very useful tool to predict the location of parotid gland tumors.

Adult↗