Prevalence of Otolaryngology Diseases in an Urban Homeless Population.
Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg
; 166(6): 1022-1027, 2022 06.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1968469
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE:
Otolaryngology diseases are common among people experiencing homelessness; however, they are seldom evaluated in a specialist setting, and investigations on their prevalence have rarely been conducted. The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the prevalence of otolaryngology conditions in an urban homeless population. STUDYDESIGN:
Retrospective study.SETTING:
Primary health care facility.METHODS:
The clinical records of patients referred to the medical facilities of the Primary Care Services of the Eleemosynaria Apostolica, Vatican City, between October 1, 2019, and July 31, 2021, were retrospectively reviewed; those reporting at least 1 otolaryngology disease were included in the study.RESULTS:
A total of 2516 records were retrospectively reviewed, and 484 (19.24%) were included in the study. The most common otolaryngology disease was pharyngotonsillitis (n = 118, 24.13%), followed by rhinitis with nasal obstruction (n = 107, 21.88%), hearing loss (n = 93, 19.01%), otitis (n = 81, 16.56%), abscess (n = 46, 9.40%), and sinusitis (n = 33, 6.74%). Head and neck cancer or precancerous lesions were reported in 34 subjects (7.02%). More than 1 simultaneous otolaryngology disorder was found in nearly 50% of our sample. A wide range of comorbidities was also reported.CONCLUSIONS:
Our results confirm an elevated otolaryngology demand in the homeless population and encourage the development of more efficient and effective strategies for a population-tailored diagnosis and treatment of these conditions.Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Otolaryngology
/
Otorhinolaryngologic Diseases
/
Ill-Housed Persons
Type of study:
Experimental Studies
/
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
Limits:
Humans
Language:
English
Journal:
Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg
Journal subject:
Otolaryngology
Year:
2022
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
01945998211060699
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