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Since the vast majority of the fall cases were in the pre-school age group, most were due to falls from a balcony, and more than half of the cases were unaccompanied by parents or caregivers, there are two issues that need to be addressed in relation to pediatric falls from height: family education and legal regulations considering child safety in the design of doors, windows, and balconies of buildings.

The cochlea is an end organ, which is metabolically dependent on a nutrient and oxygen supply to maintain its normal physiological function. Cochlear ischemia and reperfusion (IR) injury is considered one of the most important causes of human idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss. The aim of the present study was to study the efficacy of ozone therapy against cochlear damage caused by IR injury and to investigate the potential clinical use of this treatment for sudden deafness. Twenty-eight guinea pigs were randomized into four groups. The sham group (S) (n = 7) was administered physiological saline intraperitoneally (i.p.) for 7 days. The ozone group (O) (n = 7) was administered 1 mg/kg of ozone i.p. for 7 days. In the IR + O group (n = 7), 1 mg/kg of ozone was administered i.p. for 7 days before IR injury. On the eighth day, the IR + O group was subjected to cochlear ischemia for 15 min by occluding the bilateral vertebral artery and vein with a nontraumatic clamp and then reperfusion for 2 h. The IR group was subjected to cochlear IR injury. After the IR procedure, the guinea pigs were sacrificed on the same day. In a general histological evaluation, cochlear and spiral ganglionic tissues were examined with a light microscope, and apoptotic cells were counted by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining. The apoptotic index (AI) was then calculated. Blood samples were sent for analyses of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), catalase, malondialdehyde (MDA), the total oxidant score (TOS), and total antioxidant capacity (TAC). Data were evaluated statistically using the Kruskal-Wallis test. The AI was highest in the IR group. The AI of the IR + O group was lower than that of the IR group. The biochemical antioxidant parameters SOD and GSH-Px and the TAC values were highest in the O group and lowest in the IR group. The MDA level and TOS were highest in the IR group and lowest in the O group. Controlled ozone administration stimulated endogenous antioxidant defense systems, thereby helping the body to combat IR injury. Although this study revealed a statistically significant decrease in cochlear IR damage following ozone therapy, further studies will be necessary to explain the protective mechanisms of ozone therapy in cochlear IR injury.

Background: Tonsillectomy is one of the most common surgical procedures in pediatric patients. The tonsillar retractor, which is routinely used during a tonsillectomy, applies high pressure to the patient’s tongue and can lead to various complications. Aims: This study aimed to explore tongue edema induced by the pressure applied by tonsillar retractor, using ultrasonography in pediatric patients undergoing tonsillectomy surgeries. Materials and Methods: Sixty-one patients were included in the study. The tonsillectomy group included 31 patients who underwent tonsillectomy surgery, while the control group included 30 patients who underwent inguinal hernia and circumcision surgery. Submental coronal plane ultrasonography examinations of the tongue were performed twice for each patient. In the tonsillectomy group, the first examination of tongue area (TA1) was done immediately after intubation but before the placement of tonsillar retractor. The second examination (TA2) was done at the end of the tonsillectomy surgery after the removal of the tonsillar retractor but before extubation. In the control group, the first examination (TA1) was done immediately after intubation, whereas the second examination (TA2) was done at the end of the surgery before extubation. These results were compared with those for the control group. Results: Groups were similar in terms of demographics and intubation duration. Groups did not significantly differ in terms of TA1 ( P = .212), but they significantly differed in terms of TA2 ( P = .000). They also significantly differed in terms of tongue edema defined as TA2 − TA1 ( P = .000). Conclusions and Significance: Tonsillar retractor does cause tongue edema in tonsillectomy surgeries. This tongue edema seems to be a result of the pressure applied by the tonsillar retractor. This study is the first to demonstrate the possible role of ultrasonography examination in determining the tonsillar retractor–induced tongue edema in pediatric patients.