Plants are an inexhaustible source of compounds with different medicinal properties, suitable as alternative options for the prevention and treatment of various pathologies. They are safe, effective and economical. In this paper, a combined extract made of Ocimum basilicum and Trifolium pratense extracts (EOT) was used for the first time to demonstrate its healing effect on dermal pathologies. To evaluate the wound healing effect of EOT, a novel gel formulation was prepared and subsequently tested in vitro (using the scratch test assay) and in vivo (on an animal model). The in vitro tests demonstrated the complete recovery of the dermal fibroblast monolayer when treated with EOT in a concentration of 50 µg/mL. In vivo results using a hydrogel formulation based on EOT demonstrated improved wound contraction time and complete healing after 13 days of treatment. Moreover, a clinical case of Psoriasis vulgaris was presented, in which one week of treatment led to the significant improvement of the patient’s health. In conclusion, the topical use of the novel gel formulation containing EOT is a successful therapeutic alternative in the treatment of dermal diseases.

Background/Objectives: The implementing of neonatal hearing screening has significantly reduced the age at which hearing impairments are detected in children. Nevertheless, objective electrophysiological assessments, such as Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR) or Auditory Steady-State Response (ASSR) testing, are often necessary for children older than six months. To obtain accurate and interpretable results, these evaluations should be conducted while the child is asleep, as movement and muscle activity can introduce artifacts that compromise the quality of the recordings. Methods: This narrative review examines data from the literature presenting various sedation strategies employed to facilitate sleep in pediatric patients undergoing different types of procedures. It focuses on the efficacy, safety, and practicality of different sedative agents and administration routes. Results: Several sedation methods are utilized in clinical practice to achieve the necessary sleep state for ABR and ASSR testing in children. Sedatives, such as intranasal dexmedetomidine, oral midazolam, and combinations like ketamine-midazolam, have also been used, each with varying degrees of efficacy and safety profiles. General anesthesia is typically reserved for cases where less invasive sedation methods are contraindicated or have proven ineffective. Conclusions: While natural sleep is ideal for ABR and ASSR testing, sedation using agents that can be administered orally or intranasally provides a practical alternative, enabling testing outside the operating theatre. General anesthesia should be considered when non-invasive sedation is not feasible or contraindicated. The choice of sedation method should be individualized based on the child’s age, medical history, and specific needs, ensuring safety for the patient and reliability of the results.

Background/Objectives: Real-time intraoperative navigation systems such as SmartNav (Cochlear Ltd., Sydney, Australia) provide objective feedback on electrode array insertion during cochlear implantation, yet it remains unclear whether the parameters they record vary across the device- and patient-level factors a surgeon selects between. This study compared intraoperative insertion dynamics and electrophysiological parameters across electrode array design (CI622 slim-straight versus CI632 slim-modiolar), surgical approach (round window versus cochleostomy), and patient age (children versus adults). Methods: Twenty-nine consecutive implantations in 26 patients (three children implanted bilaterally) performed with SmartNav monitoring were analysed. Insertion angle, insertion speed, total insertion time, the number of contacts (of 22) with in-range impedance, and the number of contacts (of 22) with a measurable neural response telemetry (NRT) response were extracted from device logs and operative records; insertion kinetics were available for 22 of 29 implantations. Distributions were non-normal, so comparisons used the Mann–Whitney U test with rank-biserial effect sizes, Fisher’s exact test, Kruskal–Wallis test, and Spearman correlation. Exploratory multivariable regression, Brown–Forsythe variance testing, bootstrap effect sizes, and outlier-inclusive and one-ear-per-patient sensitivity analyses were additionally applied; no correction for multiple comparisons was made. Results: The CI632 array was advanced faster per electrode than the CI622 (median 0.33 versus 0.56 s/electrode; n = 5 versus 16; p = 0.015; rank-biserial r = −0.75; bootstrap 95% CI −1.00 to −0.38), but the difference was not significant when one implausible outlying value was retained (p = 0.113). Impedance and NRT status were modestly correlated (ρ = 0.388, p = 0.037, uncorrected) and unchanged after adjustment for age band (partial ρ = 0.389), but were not significant in the one-ear-per-patient analysis. The study was unable to detect a difference between age groups or between surgical approaches (five cochleostomies versus 24 round window insertions) in any parameter, and impedance status varied minimally across all strata. Conclusions: Within the limits of a small, unbalanced cohort, SmartNav-derived parameters did not differ detectably across patient age or surgical approach. The data suggest that electrode array design is associated with per-electrode insertion pacing, an observation that depends on a single excluded data point and requires confirmation. The impedance–NRT association is exploratory, is consistent with a chance finding once multiplicity is considered, and should not yet be regarded as an intraoperative integrity signal. No clinical outcome was linked to the intraoperative parameters, so no inference about the clinical superiority of either array or approach can be drawn.

Background and Objectives: The Cochlear implant is the first approved cranial nerve stimulator that works by directly stimulating the cochlear nerve. Various attempts have been made to evaluate the dimensions of the cochlea related to cochlear implantation. The preoperative computed tomographic examination is essential not only in assessing the anatomical aspect of the cochlea, but also in determining its dimensions to choose an appropriate electrode and obtain the best possible audiological performance. Materials and Methods: In the present paper, we aimed to carry out an observational study regarding the role of cochlear measurements in the preoperative evaluation of patients proposed for cochlear implants. The purpose of the study was to measure the cochlea and establish the existence of a correlation between the size of the cochlea and the age and gender of the patients. Results: From the group of 35 examined patients, 54% (n = 19) were male and 46% (n = 16) were female. The average length of the cochlea in the age group 0–4 years is 7.82 mm in the left ear and 7.86 mm in the right ear; in the age group 4–7 years, it is 7.82 mm and 7.94 mm, respectively; for the age group 7–14 years, the dimensions increase to 8.48 mm and 8.77 mm, respectively; and after 14 years, these dimensions reach 9.12 mm and 9.18 mm, respectively. Comparative measurements of the length of the cochlea by age groups show an increase in length with the patient’s age, but this increase does not exceed 1.5 mm for both the right and left ears. The measurements of the width of the cochlea, by age group, start from 6.84 mm in the left ear and 6.81 mm in the right ear at 0–4 years, 6.94 mm and 6.97 mm, respectively, in the group 4–7 years, 7.71 mm and 7.55 mm at 7–14 years, and reaching 8.19 mm and 8.12 mm at the age of 14 years and over. Conclusions: From the study carried out, it can be concluded that the evaluation of the dimensions of the cochlea is important for cochlear implantation. The size variables, although small, are still an element to be considered in correlation with the age of the patient and the implanted ear. This increase is statistically insignificant, but it still exists, even if, from a theoretical point of view, it is considered that the dimensions of the cochlea remain constant.

Backround Cochlear implant is the first approved cranial nerve stimulator that works by directly stimulating the cochlear nerve. Various attempts have been made to evaluate the dimensions of the cochlea related to cochlear implantationThe preoperative computed tomographic examination is essential in assessing the anatomical aspect of the cochlea, but also in determining its dimensions, in order to choose an appropriate electrode, in order to obtain the best possible audiological performance. Method In the present paper, we aimed to carry out an observational study, regarding the role of cochlear measurements in the preoperative evaluation of patients proposed for cochlear implant. The purpose of the study was to measure the cochlea and to establish the existence of a correlation between the size of the cochlea and the age and gender of the patients. Results From the group of 35 examined patients, 54% (n= 19) were male and 46% (n=16) female. The average length of the cochlea in the age group 0-4 years is 7.82 mm in the left ear and 7.86 in the right ear, in the age group 4-7 years it is 7.82 mm and 7.94 mm respectively, for the age group 7-14 years the dimensions increase to 8.48 and 8.77 mm respectively, and after 14 years these dimensions reach 9.12, respectively 9.18 mm. Comparative measurements of the length of the cochlea by age groups show an increase in length with the patient's age, but this increase does not exceed 1.5 mm for both the right and left ears. The measurements of the width of the cochlea, by age group, start from 6.84 mm left ear and 6.81 mm right ear at 0-4 years, 6.94 mm and respective 6.97 mm at the group 4-7 years, 7.71 mm and respective 7.55 mm at 7-14 years , and reaching 8.19 mmm and 8.12 mm at the age of over 14 years. Conclusions From the study carried out it can be concluded that the evaluation of the dimensions of the cochlea is important for cochlear implantation, the size variables, although small, are still an element to be considered in correlation with the age of the patient and the implanted ear. This increase is statistically insignificant, but it still exists, even if from a theoretical point of view, it is considered that the dimensions of the cochlea remain constant.

Background and Objectives: Outcomes after cochlear implantation are usually judged using audiological measures, although recipients' everyday benefit also depends on psychological and social functioning. This study characterized post-implant quality of life (QoL) across six patient-reported domains and explored factors associated with social integration. Methods: Fifty consecutive cochlear implant recipients completed a 35-item questionnaire covering speech perception, psychological self-esteem, media and music, environmental sound, listening effort, and social integration. Negatively framed items were reverse-scored, and domain scores were transformed to a 0-100 scale. Internal consistency, subgroup comparisons, inter-domain correlations, and multivariable regression were evaluated. Results: Mean overall QoL was 65.3 (95% CI, 60.5-69.7). Media and music received the highest mean score (77.9), whereas listening effort was lowest (56.6). The full questionnaire showed excellent internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.956). QoL scores did not differ significantly by sex, age group, time since implantation, surgical approach, or SMART NAV use, although several subgroup analyses were underpowered. Psychological self-esteem showed the strongest correlation with social integration (rho = 0.56, p < 0.001) and remained the only significant independent correlate in multivariable analysis (B = 0.456, 95% CI, 0.117-0.795; p = 0.010; R2 = 0.428). Conclusions: In this cohort, post-implant QoL varied across functional domains, with listening effort remaining a relative challenge. Social integration was more closely associated with psychological self-esteem than with individual auditory domains. These findings are exploratory and require confirmation in larger longitudinal studies with pre-implant measurements.