Otitis externa is an infection of the external auditory canal. It rarely results in facial palsy except in severe cases such as necrotizing otitis externa, which is a life-threatening invasive infection of the external auditory canal. Early recognition with prompt and appropriate treatment of necrotizing otitis externa is crucial to prevent more sinister complications. Here we report a case of an elderly gentleman who presented with otitis externa and developed facial palsy a month later. We identified possible problems that may have led to the complication so that such an occurrence can be prevented in the future.

Objective: To ascertain if the current standard for cataract surgery waiting time of 12 weeks or less in the UMMC Day Care Operation Theatre (OT) is > 80% met; and to identify the causes and possible measures to be taken if the standard is not met. Design: Retrospective analysis of patients’ medical records. Methods: The medical records of all patients who underwent cataract surgery in the Day Care OT between 1st October to 31st December 2017 were analysed. Results: A total of 230 patients underwent the surgery and from these, 219 patients were included. Only 63% of patients had a waiting time less than 12 weeks while 81.7% waited less than 16 weeks for the surgery. The common reasons found for the long waiting time were limited OT slots for cataract operations (71.6%), blepharitis (6.2%), uncontrolled co-morbidities (5%), patient requests (4.9%), financial problems, heart and lungs problems (1.2% each). Conclusion Out of 219 patients included in this audit, 63% underwent cataract surgery at our centre within 3 months. Of those who waited more than 3 months, 72% were due to limited OT slots. Further interventions should be carried out to improve the surgery waiting time and hence increase the quality of health services in the country.
Malaysia