Are sterile drapes and gowns necessary for all paediatric ENT operations? Assessing the exposure of bodily fluids during adenotonsillectomy procedures
BACKGROUND Tonsillectomies account for 17% of the UK’s elective workload, costing the NHS £68 million and generating 41kg CO2e per operation, equivalent to the monthly electricity consumption for a three-bedroom house.1,2 At Cambridge University Hospitals, usage of sterile personal protective equipment (PPE) in selected ENT operations cost £6,176 annually. The rationale for gowning requires interrogation. […]
Who Progresses? Phenotyping Long-Term Audiological Trajectories Following Newborn Hearing Screening
Children identified through the NHS Newborn Hearing Screening Programme (NNHSP) who do not initially meet cochlear implant (CI) criteria represent a heterogeneous cohort with poorly defined long-term outcomes. The natural history and longitudinal audiological phenotypes of hearing loss progression in this population remain uncertain across biological and socio-environmental factors. This regional retrospective cohort study will […]
Developing novel materials for paediatric tracheostomy tube design
Background. Paediatric tracheostomy is performed as an adjunct to long-term ventilation or to relieve airway obstruction, particularly in infants. Respiratory complications are common, resulting in morbidity, mortality, and excess healthcare costs. Contributing mechanisms likely include biofilms on PVC, silicone or polyurethane tube surfaces, which are often scaled-down versions of adult designs posing unique challenges due […]