Understanding Dizzy Patients a Cross-Sectional Analysis of Attitudes toward Diagnosis, Providers, and Treatment.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate patients' attitudes regarding their dizziness, provider capabilities, and receptiveness toward treatment. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Tertiary care vestibular clinic. PATIENTS: Ages 18 years or older, fluent in English, and who presented with a chief complaint of dizziness or vertigo. INTERVENTION(S): N/A. MAIN OUTCOMES MEASURE(S): Non-validated questionnaire surveying patients' beliefs regarding the cause of their dizziness, likelihood of successful treatment, and openness to various treatment modalities. RESULTS: Patients were asked to complete an online non-validated survey regarding their dizziness prior to being evaluated in neurotology clinic. About 67 surveys were completed between January 2017 and September 2018. A majority of patients attributed their dizziness to their ears (n = 47, 70%), followed by the brain (n = 29, 43%). Most subjects chose "neither agree nor disagree" about whether their provider could identify the cause of their dizziness (27%). Most subjects also chose "neither agree nor disagree" that their dizziness would resolve with treatment (31%). These attitudes were not influenced by demographics, dizziness severity, anxiety, depression, or quality of life on multivariate ordinal regression modeling. CONCLUSIONS: Patients who experience dizziness have neutral attitudes with regards to believing that their provider will be able to identify the cause of their dizziness and whether their dizziness will resolve with treatment. These neutral attitudes are experienced by a plurality of patients and do not differ by demographic information, dizziness handicap, quality of life, depression, or anxiety.

Episodic versus Chronic Dizziness: An Analysis of Predictive Factors.

OBJECTIVES: To elucidate differences in demographic and clinical characteristics between patients with episodic and chronic dizziness. METHODS: A cross-sectional, observational study of 217 adults referred for dizziness at 1 tertiary center was undertaken. Subjects were split into a chronic dizziness group (>15 dizzy days per month) and an episodic dizziness group (<15 dizzy days per month). RESULTS: 217 adults (average age, 53.7 years; 56.7% female) participated. One-third (n = 74) met criteria for chronic dizziness. Dizziness handicap inventory (DHI) scores were significantly higher in those with chronic dizziness compared to those with episodic dizziness (53.9 vs 40.7; P < .001). Comorbid depression and anxiety were more prevalent in those with chronic dizziness (44.6% and 47.3% vs 37.8% and 35.7%, respectively; P > .05). Abnormal vestibular testing and abnormal imaging studies did not differ significantly between the 2 groups. Ménière's disease and BPPV were significantly more common among those with episodic dizziness, while the prevalence of vestibular migraine did not differ according to chronicity of symptoms. A multivariate regression that included age, sex, DHI, history of anxiety and/or depression, associated symptoms, and dizziness triggers was able to account for 15% of the variance in the chronicity of dizziness (pseudo-R2 = 0.15; P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Those who suffer from chronic dizziness have significantly higher DHI and high comorbid rates of depression and anxiety than those with episodic dizziness. Our findings show that factors other than diagnosis alone are important in the chronification of dizziness, an observation that could help improve on multimodal treatment options for this group of patients.

Understanding Extremely Elevated Dizziness Handicap Inventory Scores: An Analysis of Predictive Factors.

BACKGROUND: The Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI) measures impairment in quality of life due to dizziness, with higher scores indicating greater impairment. Little is known about the clinical features that predict extremely elevated DHI scores (eeDHI). OBJECTIVE: To identify clinical features associated with eeDHI. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted of 217 patients with dizziness between October 2016 and April 2019. Patients with eeDHI had DHI scores 1 standard deviation higher than the mean. Analyses were performed to generate odds ratios (OR) for having eeDHI based on clinical features and exam findings. RESULTS: The cut-off for eeDHI scores was 71. In total, 20.7% had eeDHI. Logistic regression identified 6 independent predictors for eeDHI scores: numbness in the face or body during dizziness (OR = 5.99, 95% CI 1.77-20.30), history of falls (OR = 4.37, 95% CI 1.74-10.97), female sex (OR = 2.81, 95% CI 1.18-6.66), caloric weakness (OR = 2.61, 95% CI 1.36-5.01), total number of diagnoses associated with dizziness (OR = 2.17, 95% CI 1.11-4.28), and total number of symptoms during dizziness (OR = 1.25, 95% CI 1.07-1.45). CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that patients with eeDHI have severe disease and should be screened for falls. By understanding the drivers of high DHI scores, we can alleviate disease related suffering for vestibular disorders.

Endoscopic Management of Primary Acquired Cholesteatoma.

Endoscopic ear surgery is increasingly accepted as a primary modality for cholesteatoma surgery. A major advantage is the enhanced visualization of the middle ear in traditionally poorly accessible locations by the microscope. We discuss novel techniques for selective mastoid obliteration when a canal wall down mastoidectomy is necessary. Postoperatively, indications for non-echo planar diffusion-weighted imaging MRI versus second-look surgery are discussed. Finally, outcome data for endoscopic versus microscopic ear surgery are reviewed, which show equivalent outcomes regarding residual and recurrent disease, similar rates of complications, decreased pain, and shorter healing time.

A Guide to Facial Trauma Triage and Precautions in the COVID-19 Pandemic.

COVID-19 is an emerging viral illness that has rapidly transmitted throughout the world. Its impact on society and the health care system has compelled hospitals to quickly adapt and innovate as new information about the disease is uncovered. During this pandemic, essential medical and surgical services must be carried out while minimizing the risk of disease transmission to health care workers. There is an elevated risk of COVID-19 viral transmission to health care workers during surgical procedures of the head and neck due to potential aerosolization of viral particles from the oral cavity/naso-oropharynx mucosa. Thus, patients with facial fractures pose unique challenges to the variety of injuries and special considerations, including triaging injuries and protective measures against infection. The proximity to the oral cavity/naso-oropharyngeal mucosa, and potential for aerosolization of secretions containing viral particles during surgical procedures make most patients undergoing operative interventions for facial fractures high risk for COVID-19 transmission. Our proposed algorithm aims to balance patient care with patient/medical personnel protection as well as judicious health care utilization. It stratifies facial trauma procedures by urgency and assigns a recommended level of personal protective equipment, extreme or enhanced, incorporating current best practices and existing data on viral transmission. As this pandemic continues to evolve and more information is obtained, the protocol can be further refined and individualized to each institution.

Risk of Mortality between Untreated and Treated Papillary Thyroid Cancer: A Matched Cohort Analysis.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the association between treatment status and mortality risk among patients with papillary thyroid cancer (PTC). METHODS: We identified 3,679 adults with PTC. Thirty-one untreated patients were matched to 155 treated patients. Hazards ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to estimate all-cause and disease-specific mortality. A low-risk subgroup was analyzed for differences in all-cause mortality. RESULTS: The adjusted HRs (95% CIs) for all-cause mortality at 5 and 10 years were 4.2 (1.7-10.3) and 4.1 (1.9-9.4) and for disease- specific mortality were 14.1 (3.4-59.3) and 10.2 (2.9-36.4), respectively, for untreated versus treated patients. The adjusted HRs (95% CIs) for all- cause mortality was 0.7 (0.1-6.4) for low-risk untreated versus matched treated patients. CONCLUSIONS: Compared to treated patients, untreated PTC patients were at higher risk of death while low-risk untreated PTC patients had comparable rate of metastasis and no increased risk of all-cause mortality. Level of evidence: 3.

Understanding the natural history of papillary thyroid cancer: Case series.

BACKGROUND: Papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) incidence continues to rise. We describe the natural history of untreated PTC patients. METHODS: Retrospective case series of 31 untreated PTC patients. RESULTS: We identified 31 untreated patients from the Kaiser Permanente Cancer Registry with PTC from 1973 to 2010. Patients were categorized as low risk (n = 16), high risk (n = 12), or low risk but medically contraindicated for surgery (n = 3). At diagnosis, 7 (58.3%) in the high-risk group had cervical lymph node metastases and 5 (41.7%) had distant metastases, compared to none in the low-risk group. Among the latter, three (18.8%) patients developed tumor growth >3 mm and one (6.3%) developed regional lymph node metastases without distant metastases. The 10-year overall survival was 71% and 35% for the low-risk and high-risk groups, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with low-risk untreated PTC were less likely to develop new regional or distant metastases and had better overall survival than patients with high-risk untreated PTC. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4.

Factors Impacting Online Ratings for Otolaryngologists.

OBJECTIVE: To identify factors associated with online patient ratings and comments for a nationwide sample of otolaryngologists. METHODS: Ratings, demographic information, and written comments were obtained for a random sample of otolaryngologists from HealthGrades.com and Vitals.com . Online Presence Score (OPS) was based on 10 criteria, including professional website and social media profiles. Regression analyses identified factors associated with increased rating. We evaluated for correlations between OPS and other attributes with star rating and used chi-square tests to evaluate content differences between positive and negative comments. RESULTS: On linear regression, increased OPS was associated with higher ratings on HealthGrades and Vitals; higher ratings were also associated with younger age on Vitals and less experience on HealthGrades. However, detailed correlation studies showed weak correlation between OPS and rating; age and graduation year also showed low correlation with ratings. Negative comments more likely focused on surgeon-independent factors or poor bedside manner. CONCLUSION: Though younger otolaryngologists with greater online presence tend to have higher ratings, weak correlations suggest that age and online presence have only a small impact on the content found on ratings websites. While most written comments are positive, deficiencies in bedside manner or other physician-independent factors tend to elicit negative comments.

Trends in sleep studies performed for Medicare beneficiaries.

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: To quantify trends and characteristics of sleep studies performed for Medicare beneficiaries in the United States. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective longitudinal study of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' Part B National Summary Data and Medicare Provider Utilization and Payment Data from 2000 to 2014. METHODS: Sleep study data were analyzed according to type of study performed, total expenditure amount, provider specialty, and geographic location. RESULTS: In 2014, 845,569 sleep studies were completed by 1.4% of Medicare beneficiaries for a total of $189 million. Since 2010, annual expenditures for sleep studies have declined, whereas the number of studies performed has increased by 9.1%. In 2014, polysomnography, split-night polysomnography, and unattended home sleep studies accounted for 40%, 48%, and 12%, respectively, of total sleep studies. This represents a dramatic growth in the number of unattended sleep studies performed since 2000, when they represented only 0.9%. Pulmonologists, independent diagnostic testing facilities, and neurologists are the top specialties that bill for sleep studies. Sleep medicine is a growing specialty and ranked fifth among providers, whereas otolaryngologists ranked eighth. CONCLUSIONS: The healthcare burden of administering sleep studies is substantial, although the annual cost is declining. Unattended sleep studies contribute to decreasing costs and should be considered for patients who meet the correct indications. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4. Laryngoscope, 127:2891-2896, 2017.