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Objectives: We aimed to evaluate the efficiency of our hearing screening program, prior to hospital discharge, together with the consistency of our teamwork including first year residents by assessing a learning curve for the operators involved. Methods: We evaluated all the data collected during the first stage of the screening program of all non-NICU neonates from March 2009 to July 2013, analyzing by means of a linear regression model, the monthly referral rate for the whole period of activity of each group of residents. Results: performances of each group of screeners were statistically different (chi square test p < 0.005). The nptrend test showed that group 2 (p = 0.01) and group 4 (p = 0.01) reached a statistical significance in higher and lower referral rates respectively. No statistical differences were found in other groups (Group 1 p = 0.161; Group 3 p = 0.853). Conclusion: Despite a statistically significant difference in the performances between the groups of residents, the referral rates for each group (range 6.18%–9.29%) and the overall referral rate for the whole period (7.84%) agree with the values commonly reported for TEOAEs in the literature. It means that our screening program is reasonably effective despite a yearly turnover of operators.

Background: Interventional radiotherapy (brachytherapy; IRT) reemerged in the last decades as a potentially useful tool in head and neck oncology after a set of clear technical improvements were developed. Methods: Sixty-one high dose ratio (HDR) IRT treatments were recommended and performed on 58 patients. We classified the cases into four relatively homogeneous groups based on the clinical needs that led to the recommended IRT. Also, we separately evaluated primary and recurrent cases. Results: Disease-specific survival was significantly different among the four treatment groups. The group with the best prognosis was the cohort treated locally by exclusive interstitial IRT for resectable midface malignancies (2-year relapse-free survival = 82%, disease-specific survival = 89%). Conclusion: HDR IRT is a valuable tool in well-defined clinical situations and, in particular, in recurrences. In midface malignancies, it could become the preferred primary treatment.