Tag: aural
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Cytology better than swabs for culture in cases of otitis externa
This one’s a little controversial, but some evidence exists that taking swabs for culture from cases of otitis externa can lead to poor reproducibility. Swabs taken from the same ear may produce different isolates, and even when the isolates agree, they may have different (antibiotic) susceptibility patterns (Bloom, 2015; Graham-Mize et al, 2004; and Schick, 2007). Bloom (2015),…
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Aural haematomas: an alternative to surgery
It occurred to me the other day I hadn’t seen an aural haematoma for some time. Saying that, I now expect three to come along in Monday-morning surgery. I also recall a time when we immediately resorted to surgery as the primary treatment. However, lately we have drained the ear and injected dexamethasone into the space. If you…