Nielurisaleikkaus elämänlaatua parantamaan

Nielurisaleikkauksen yleisimmät aiheet ovat toistuva tai pitkäaikainen nielurisatulehdus, nielurisojen liikakasvu ja nielupaise.Leikkauksessa nielurisat poistetaan yleensä kokonaan, mutta säästävämmän osapoiston osuus on kasvanut etenkin lasten nielurisavaivojen hoidossa.Toipumisvaiheelle tyypillisiä ongelmia ovat kipu, jälkiverenvuoto ja nestehukka.</p

Head and neck cancer in primary care: presenting symptoms and the effect of delayed diagnosis of cancer cases

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the diagnosis of head and neck carcinoma in primary care. We sought to estimate the general prevalence of symptoms reported by patients with head and neck carcinomas and to determine the association between detection patterns of head and neck cancer cases in primary care and survival. METHODS: In a cross-sectional survey, we used a questionnaire to estimate the general prevalence of symptoms associated with head and neck cancer from a sample of 5646 primary care visits in 25 randomly selected health centres over 4 weeks throughout Finland. A population-based retrospective cohort study involved the 221 patients resident in one primary health care district (population about 700 000) in whom head and neck carcinoma was diagnosed between Jan. 1, 1986, and Dec. 31, 1996. Data on the initial primary care visit, clinical characteristics and survival were obtained from patient charts. RESULTS: Of 5646 visits to a primary care practitioner, 11% (617) were made because of the same symptoms as those initially reported by patients later found to have head and neck cancer. According to the cohort data, the detection rate of these carcinomas in primary care was 1 per 63 000 visits. At the initial visit of 221 patients later found to have cancer, 56% (123) received referrals, 24% (53) follow-up appointments and 20% (45) neither (“overlooked”). At 3 years, the risk of death was significantly higher among patients whose disease was overlooked (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 1.89, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.03–3.45). The excess risk associated with being overlooked, however, was confined to subjects with tongue or glottic tumours (HR 4.25, 95% CI 1.59–11.4) (number needed to harm 3.0, 95% CI 1.9–6.7). INTERPRETATION: Despite the rarity of patients with head and neck carcinoma in primary care, patients with symptoms of these diseases and especially with symptoms of tongue and glottic carcinomas should be initially referred for further care or followed up

Dynamic Changes in Heart Rate Variability and Nasal Airflow Resistance during Nasal Allergen Provocation Test

Allergic rhinitis is a major chronic respiratory disease and an immunoneuronal disorder. We aimed at providing further knowledge on the function of the neural system in nasal allergic reaction. Here, a method to assess simultaneously the nasal airflow resistance and the underlying function of autonomic nervous system (ANS) is presented and used during the nasal provocation of allergic and nonallergic subjects. Continuous nasal airflow resistance and spectral heart rate variability parameters show in detail the timing and intensity differences in subjects’ reactions. After the provocation, the nasal airflow resistance of allergic subjects showed a positive trend, whereas LF/HF (Low Frequency/High Frequency) ratio and LF power showed a negative trend. This could imply a gradual sympathetic withdrawal in allergic subjects after the allergen provocation. The groups differed significantly by these physiological descriptors. The proposed method opens entirely new opportunities to research accurately concomitant changes in nasal breathing function and ANS

Tonsillectomy versus watchful waiting in recurrent streptococcal pharyngitis in adults: randomised controlled trial

Objective To determine the short term efficacy and safety of tonsillectomy for recurrent streptococcal pharyngitis in adults. Design Randomised controlled trial. Setting Academic referral centre in Finland. Participants 70 adults with documented recurrent episodes of streptococcal group A pharyngitis. Intervention Instant tonsillectomy (n=36) or remaining on waiting list as control (n=34). Main outcome measures Percentage change in the risk of an episode of streptococcal pharyngitis at 90 days. Rates of all episodes of pharyngitis and days with symptoms and adverse effects. Results The mean (SD) follow-up was 164 (63) days in the control group and 170 (12) days in the tonsillectomy group. At 90 days, streptococcal pharyngitis had recurred in 24% (8/34) in the control group and 3% (1/36) in the tonsillectomy group (difference 21%; 95% confidence interval 6% to 36%). The number needed to undergo tonsillectomy to prevent one recurrence was 5 (3 to 16). During the whole follow-up, the rates of other episodes of pharyngitis and days with throat pain and fever were significantly lower in the tonsillectomy group than in the control group. The most common morbidity related to tonsillectomy was postoperative throat pain (mean length 13 days, SD 4). Conclusions Adults with a history of documented recurrent episodes of streptococcal pharyngitis were less likely to have further streptococcal or other throat infections or days with throat pain if they had their tonsils removed. Trial registration Clinical Trials NCT00136877

Adenoidectomy versus chemoprophylaxis and placebo for recurrent acute otitis media in children aged under 2 years: randomised controlled trial

Objective To evaluate the efficacy of adenoidectomy compared with long term chemoprophylaxis and placebo in the prevention of recurrent acute otitis media in children aged between 10 months and 2 years. Design Randomised, double blind, controlled trial. Setting Oulu University Hospital, a tertiary centre in Finland. Participants 180 children aged 10 months to 2 years with recurrent acute otitis media. Intervention Adenoidectomy, sulfafurazole (sulphisoxazole) 50 mg/kg body weight, given once a day for six months or placebo. Follow up lasted for two years, during which time all symptoms and episodes of acute otitis media were recorded. Main outcome measures Intervention failure (two episodes in two months or three in six months or persistent effusion) during follow up, number of episodes of acute otitis media, number of visits to a doctor because of any infection, and antibiotic prescriptions Number of prescriptions, and days with symptoms of respiratory infection. Results Compared with placebo, interventions failed during both the first six months and the rest of the follow up period of 24 months similarly in the adenoidectomy and chemoprophylaxis groups (at six months the differences in risk were 10% (95% confidence interval -9% to 29%) and 18% (-2% to 38%), respectively). No significant differences were observed between the groups in the numbers of episodes of acute otitis media, visits to a doctor, antibiotic prescriptions, and days with symptoms of respiratory infection. Conclusions Adenoidectomy, as the first surgical treatment of children aged 10 to 24 months with recurrent acute otitis media, is not effective in preventing further episodes. It cannot be recommended as the primary method of prophylaxis