Intelligence quotient testing in children with hearing loss: A systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the current study is to perform a systematic review of the research literature to evaluate the impact of hearing loss on intelligence quotient (IQ) scores in pediatric patients. DATA SOURCES: Ovid MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) databases were searched from their inception up to December 21st, 2021. REVIEW METHODS: Studies evaluating neurocognitive testing and hearing loss in children aged 21 years old or younger who had not undergone auditory rehabilitation were included in the study. Two independent reviewers evaluated titles, abstracts, and full texts for all included studies. RESULTS: The literature search yielded 3199 studies of which 431 studies underwent full-text screening. 21 studies were ultimately selected for inclusion and contained a total of 1716 pediatric patients assessed through 13 different validated tests of intelligence. Six studies included both hearing impaired (HI) and normal hearing (NH) patients, and IQ testing results. CONCLUSION: The results of this large systematic review demonstrate that hearing impaired children may perform lower than their age-matched normal hearing peers on IQ testing across a battery of IQ testing modalities.

Longitudinal outcomes with intracapsular tonsillectomy, a single surgeon's experience.

PURPOSE: To assess the risk of tonsillar regrowth and post-operative complications associated with intracapsular tonsillectomy (IT) when performed by a single surgeon using a standardized technique. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The current study was conducted as a retrospective chart review of all IT performed by a single surgeon between November 11, 2009 and July 22, 2020 at the Cleveland Clinic and the Cleveland Clinic Beachwood Family Health and Surgery Center . Data collection included patient demographics, surgical data, post operative results, complications, and available long-term follow-up data. RESULTS: There were 221 ITs performed between November 2009 and July 2020. The post operative bleeding rate was 3.5 %. A single adult patient required re-operation for bleeding. Rate of tonsillar regrowth was 3.9 % (n = 7) and 1.1 % (n = 2) required re-operation (total tonsillectomy). No patients in the current study developed post-operative dehydration or had excessive post-operative pain requiring an emergency department visit or hospitalization. CONCLUSIONS: The current study demonstrated similar rates of post operative bleeding after IT when compared to established rates following TT. The current study's regrowth rate was 3.9 % with a low 1.1 % rate of re-operation. This study adds to a growing body of literature supporting the use of IT due to lower complication rates when compared to TT, including post-operative bleeding, dehydration, and pain, with minimal rate of re-operation for bleeding or regrowth.

Safety of Cochlear Implantation in Children 12 Months or Younger: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To systematically review the literature to determine safety of cochlear implantation in pediatric patients 12 months and younger. DATA SOURCE: Ovid MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) databases were searched from inception to March 20, 2021. REVIEW METHODS: Studies that involved patients 12 months and younger with report of intraoperative or postoperative complication outcomes were included. Studies selected were reviewed for complications, explants, readmissions, and prolonged hospitalizations. Two independent reviewers screened all studies that were selected for the systematic review and meta-analysis. All studies included were assessed for quality and risk of bias. RESULTS: The literature search yielded 269 studies, of which 53 studies underwent full-text screening, and 18 studies were selected for the systematic review and meta-analysis. A total of 449 patients and 625 cochlear implants were assessed. Across all included studies, major complications were noted in 3.1% of patients (95% CI, 0.8-7.1) and 2.3% of cochlear implantations (95% CI, 0.6-5.2), whereas minor complications were noted in 2.4% of patients (95% CI, 0.4-6.0) and 1.8% of cochlear implantations (95% CI, 0.4-4.3). There were no anesthetic complications reported across all included studies. CONCLUSION: The results of this systematic review and meta-analysis suggest that cochlear implantation in patients 12 months and younger is safe with similar rates of complications to older cohorts.

Comprehensive medical evaluation of pediatric bilateral sensorineural hearing loss.

Children with bilateral sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) should undergo a comprehensive medical evaluation to determine the underlying etiology and help guide treatment and counseling. In this article, we review the indications and rationale for medical evaluation of pediatric bilateral SNHL, including history and physical examination, imaging, genetic testing, specialist referrals, cytomegalovirus (CMV) testing, and other laboratory tests. Workup begins with a history and physical examination, which can provide clues to the etiology of SNHL, particularly with syndromic causes. If SNHL is diagnosed within the first 3 weeks of life, CMV testing should be performed to identify patients that may benefit from antiviral treatment. If SNHL is diagnosed after 3 weeks, testing can be done using dried blood spots samples, if testing capability is available. Genetic testing is oftentimes successful in identifying causes of hearing loss as a result of recent technological advances in testing and an ever-increasing number of identified genes and genetic mutations. Therefore, where available, genetic testing should be performed, ideally with next generation sequencing techniques. Ophthalmological evaluation must be done on all children with SNHL. Imaging (high-resolution computed tomography and/or magnetic resonance imaging) should be performed to assess for anatomic causes of hearing loss and to determine candidacy for cochlear implantation when indicated. Laboratory testing is indicated for certain etiologies, but should not be ordered indiscriminately since the yield overall is low.

Systematic content analysis of patient evaluations of START NOW psychotherapy reveals practical strategies for improving the treatment of opioid use disorder.

BACKGROUND: Clinical trials provide consistent evidence for buprenorphine's efficacy in treating opioid use disorder (OUD). While the Drug Addiction Treatment Act of 2000 requires physicians to combine medication-assisted treatment (MAT) with behavioral intervention, there is no clear evidence for what form or elements of psychotherapy are most effective when coupled with MAT to treat OUD. This investigation involves focus groups designed to collect patient opinions about a specific psychotherapy, called START NOW, as well as general beliefs about various elements of psychotherapy for treating OUD. Our analysis reveals trends about patient preferences and strategies for improving OUD treatment. METHODS: Subjects included patients enrolled in buprenorphine/naloxone MAT at our institution's office-based opioid treatment program. All subjects participated in a single START NOW group session, which was led by a provider (physician or nurse practitioner trained and standardized in delivering START NOW). Consented subjects participated in satisfaction surveys and audio-recorded focus groups assessing individual beliefs about various elements of psychotherapy for treating OUD. RESULTS: Overall, 38 different focus groups, 92 participation events, and 44 unique subjects participated in 1-to-6 different START NOW session/audio-recorded focus group sessions led by a certified moderator. Demographic data from 36/44 subjects was collected. Seventy-five percent (33/44) completed the START NOW Assessment Protocol, which revealed self-reported behavioral trends. Analysis of all 92 START NOW Satisfaction Questionnaire results suggests that subjects' opinions about START NOW improved with increased participation. Our analysis of audio-recorded focus groups is divided into three subsections: content strategies for new psychotherapies, implementation strategies, and other observations. For example, participants request psychotherapies to target impulsivity and to teach future planning and build positive relationships. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study may guide implementation of psychotherapy and improve the treatment of OUD, especially as it relates to improving the modified START NOW program for treating OUD. Our study also reveals a favorable outlook of START NOW with increased participation, suggesting that any initial reticence to this program can be overcome to allow for effective implementation.

Proper Disposal of Prescription Opioids in Southwest Virginia: Assessment of Patient, Physician, and Medical Student Beliefs and Practices.

CONTEXT: Southwestern Virginia demonstrates the highest regional mortality rate from prescription opioid overdoses. Nationally, 65% of patients misusing opioid medications received them from friends and family, underscoring the need for effective disposal of unused narcotics. OBJECTIVES: (1) To understand patient, provider, and medical student beliefs and misconceptions regarding proper methods of opioid disposal; (2) to characterize discrepancies that exist between patient self-reported habits and medical student/provider perceptions of opioid usage, disposal, and diversion. DESIGN: Descriptive, cross-sectional, observational study. SETTING: Large, nonprofit health care organization and allopathic medical school in Southwestern Virginia. PARTICIPANTS: All ambulatory patients 18 years or older presenting for elective consultation at health system orthopedics department; all institutionally employed physicians with active system e-mail addresses; and all current students at the associated medical school. MAIN OUTCOMES/MEASURES: Patients: The number who had received information regarding proper methods of opioid disposal, intended disposal method, methods of disposal considered appropriate, comfort level with opioid disposal, and demographic data. Physicians and Medical Students: The number who had received instruction regarding proper methods of opioid disposal, acceptable means of opioid disposal, most appropriate disposal method, disposal method most likely to be employed by patients, practice profile/prescribing data, and medical school year. RESULTS: In total, 64% of patients (n = 255/750) had never received instruction from a physician regarding opioid disposal; 56% of physicians (n = 212/732) and 78% (n = 80/171) of medical students indicated that they never received formal instruction regarding methods of disposal. The majority of physicians believed that their patients are most likely to use in-home methods of disposal or store prescription medications for future use; 61% of patients indicated a preference for accessible disposal facilities. CONCLUSIONS: The discrepancy between patient and physician responses highlights a lack of communication regarding disposal of unused opioid medications and is a target for future intervention.

Interprofessional Service Learning in Medical Education: a Year-Over-Year Assessment of Student Feedback.

Community service learning has been extolled as an effective vehicle for interprofessional education based upon studies assessing the short-term impact of these experiences on positive team behaviors and communication skills. Through this study, the authors explore year-over-year student impressions of an interprofessional service learning program to determine whether the short-term successes detailed in prior studies are sustainable over time. Course evaluations were collected from 168 first-year medical students (M1) at Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine (VTCSOM) over a 4-year period beginning in 2013 and ending in 2017. All 238 current and former VTCSOM students were also prospectively surveyed and 87 (37%) responses were received. Study results indicate that first-year medical students consistently find interprofessional service learning opportunities to be valuable with regard to improving understanding of the roles of other health professionals, as well as helping to generate positive team behaviors. However, as students progress through their medical education and beyond, they may perceive the skills learned and obstacles encountered through these opportunities to be less generalizable to a clinical setting. These findings add to a growing body of evidence supporting the efficacy of service learning in interprofessional education. However, they also suggest that a potential divide may exist between the intended goals of these experiences at an administrative level and the team-based behaviors and communication skills that clinical students and practicing physicians use to navigate interprofessional conflict in the workplace.

Systematic Review of Pathogenic GJB2 Variants in the Latino Population.

OBJECTIVES: Define the extent to which GJB2-related hearing loss is responsible for non-syndromic hearing loss (NSHL) in the Latino population. METHODS: Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines were followed. PubMed and MEDLINE were accessed from 1966 to 2019 using permutations of the MeSH terms: "Hearing Loss," "Hearing Impairment," "Deafness," "Latin American," "Latino," "GJB2," and "Genetic." Additionally, countries designated as Latino by the US Office of Management and Bureau were cross-referenced as key terms against the aforementioned search criteria. Exclusion criteria included non-English publications, a non-Latino study population, and literature not investigating GJB2. An allele frequency analysis of pathogenic GJB2 variants in the Latino population was performed and stratified by country of origin and reported ethnicity. RESULTS: One hundred twenty two unique studies were identified of which 64 met our inclusion criteria. Forty three studies were included in the GJB2 systematic review. A total of 38 pathogenic GJB2 variants were identified across 20 countries in the Latino population. The prevalence of pathogenic GJB2 variants varied by country; however, were generally uncommon with the exception of c.35delG (p.Gly12Valfs*) which displayed an allele frequency of 3.1% in the combined Latino population; ranging from 21% in Colombia to 0% in Guatemala. CONCLUSION: Variation in the prevalence of pathogenic GJB2 variants by country likely reflect the heterogeneous nature of ethnic ancestral contributions to the Latino population. Additional research utilizing next generation sequencing might aid in the development of assays for high throughput diagnosis of inherited hearing loss in the multitude of ethnic sub-groups that comprise this and other traditionally marginalized populations.