Pádraig Kitterick
Biography
I am an Associate Professor and member of the Hearing Sciences research group in the School of Medicine at the University of Nottingham. I am also part of the hearing theme of the NIHR Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre.
My research focusses on improving the clinical care and outcomes of children and adults with severe to profound hearing losses in both ears or in one ear only, and on evaluating the effectiveness of auditory implants.
Featured Article
Recommended personal protective equipment for cochlear implant and other mastoid surgery during the COVID‐19 era
The Laryngoscope, Vol 130 (11), p. 2693-2699
Objectives/Hypothesis
The overall aim of this study was to evaluate personal protective equipment (PPE) that may facilitate the safe recommencement of cochlear implantation in the COVID‐19 era, with the broader goal of minimizing the period of auditory deprivation in prelingually deaf children and reducing the risk of cochlear ossification in individuals following meningitis.
Methods
The study design comprised 1) an objective assessment of mastoid drilling‐induced droplet spread conducted during simulated cochlear implant (CI) surgery and its mitigation via the use of a protective drape tent and 2) an evaluation of three PPE configurations by otologists while performing mastoid drilling on ex vivo temporal bones. The various PPE solutions were assessed in terms of their impact on communication, vital physiological parameters, visual acuity and fields, and acceptability to surgeons using a systematic risk‐based approach.
Results
Droplet spread during simulated CI surgery extended over 2 m, a distance greater than previously reported. A drape tent significantly reduced droplet spread. The ensemble of a half‐face mask and safety spoggles (foam lined safety goggles) had consistently superior performance across all aspects of clinical usability. All other PPE options were found to substantially restrict the visual field, making them unsafe for microsurgery.
Conclusions
The results of this preclinical study indicate that the most viable solution to enable the safe conduct of CI and other mastoid surgery is a combination of a filtering facepiece (FFP3) mask or half‐face respirator with safety spoggles as PPE. Prescription spoggles are an option for surgeons who need to wear corrective glasses to operate. A drape tent reduces droplet spread. A multicenter clinical trial to evaluate the effectiveness of PPE should be the next step toward safely performing CI surgery during the COVID‐19 era.
Latest Publications
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An exploration of psychological symptom-based phenotyping of adult cochlear implant users with and without tinnitus using a machine learning approach
Progress in brain research 260, 283-300
2021
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Insomnia, anxiety and depression in adult cochlear implant users with tinnitus
Ear and Hearing 42 (1), 235-243
2021
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Associations between hearing health and well-being in unilateral hearing impairment
Ear and hearing
2020
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Use of a novel drape ‘tent’as an infection prevention control measure for mastoid surgery
The Journal of Laryngology & Otology, 1-7
2020
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Core Rehabilitation Outcome Set for Single Sided Deafness (CROSSSD) study: protocol for an international consensus on outcome measures for single sided deafness interventions …
Trials 21 (1), 1-14
2020
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Recommended personal protective equipment for cochlear implant and other mastoid surgery during the COVID‐19 era
The Laryngoscope
2020
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Benefit of cross-modal reorganization on speech perception in paediatric cochlear implant recipients revealed using functional near-infrared spectroscopy
Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 14, 308
2020
Sources of information about my research: