ENT Flashcards
Give 3 risk factors for otitis externa
- hot and humid climates
- swimming
- diabetes
- immunocompromise
How does otitis externa present?
- Pain and itching of ear
- sometimes discharge and hearing loss
- sometimes fever and lymphadenopathy
- erythematous, odematous ear canal with exudate
- mobile tympanic membrane
- pain on movement of tragus or auricle
Name a serious complication of otitis externa
Mastoiditis
Can also spread to temporal bones, more common in elderly, diabetics and immunocompromised. It is treated with 6-8 weeks of a quinolone and needs urgent ENT refferal if suspected.
How is otitis externa treated?
Neomycin (antibiotic drops)
Severe cases may require a wick coated in steroids and abx to be inserted by ENT
How quickly should otitis externa resolve with treatment?
6 days
What is the difference between acute otitis media (AOM) and otitis media with effusion (OME)?
AOM is caused by bacteria or virus, there is pus in middle ear causing pain. In 5% the tympanic membrane bursts, pain goes and you get discharge,
OME is a chronic inflammatory condition causing a build up of fluid behind the tympanic membrane - see loss of light reflex, drum colour changes, air/ fluid levels, retracted or bulging (less common)
When should pts with otitis media be admitted?
- under 3 months with fever >38
- children with suspected acute complication such as meningitis, mastoiditis or facial nerve palsies
- consider referral in those systemically unwell or less than 3 months
How should acute otitis media be managed? When and which abx should be given?
- NSIAD for pain relief
- delayed or no abx for those systemically well- advice should resolve within 3 days
- 5 days amoxicillin for those who are systemically unwell but don’t require admission or where symptoms have persisted for <3 days
- if child getting hearing problems or more than 4 in a year, refer for grommet consideration
What signs suggest a sore throat has a bacterial cause?
- tonsillar exudate
- tender anterior
cervical lymph nodes - absence of cough
- attend within 3 days
- fever
Name 2 complications of a bacterial sore throat
- pneumoccal infection: scarlet fever, post streptococcal glomerular nephritis, rheumatic fever
- quinsy
- otitis media
What safety net advice should be given for a sort throat
Seek urgent medical advice if:
- difficulty breathing or stridor
- start to drool
- muffled voice
- severe ain
- dysphagia
- unable to swallow fluids
- become systemically unwell
Who should receive immediate abx for a sore throat? What abx are used?
- high fever pain score (this alone is not an indication)
- systemically very unwell
- signs of peritonsillar abscess of cellulitis
- immunosurpressed
- valvular heart disease
- significant comorbidity (heart, lung, renal disease)
Give 10 days phenoxymethylpenicilin
Why should amoxicillin be avoided in aldolescents and young people with sore throats?
it will produce a rash if the cause is infective mononucleosis, even in absence of penicillin allergy
How quickly should a sore throat get better?
90% better in a week irrespective of abx.
Abx reduce symptom duration by 1 day.
Delayed abx may be given if FEVER PAIN score is high, otherwise they should not be prescribed.
How does BPPV present? What test is used to diagnose it?
- vertigo lasting 20-30 seconds provoked by head movements (esp rolling over in bed)
- nausea is common
- hearing is not affected
- diagnose with dix hallpike test
How is BPPV managed?
- epley manouver
- brandt daroff exercises if they dont want the epley
- may self resolve over several weeks
How does menieres disease present?
- Vertigo, tinnitis and fluctuating hearing loss with sensation of aural pressure
- transient in early staged
- Attacks last 30 mins- 2/3 hrs
- episodes occur in clusters of 6-11 per year
- usually unilateral initially but bilateral can develop over many years
- sensorineural hearing loss