Impact of Giving Patients Your Personal Phone Number in Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery.

OBJECTIVE: Patient-provider communication is a major barrier to care, with some providers giving their personal phone number (PPN) to patients for increased accessibility. We investigated participant utilization of provider's PPN, its effect on participant satisfaction, provider's ability to predict abuse of this practice, and evolving provider perceptions. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective, randomized study. SETTING: Single institution, tertiary referral center. METHODS: During a 2-week period, otolaryngology patients were randomized to either receive their provider's PPN or not. Providers predicted the likelihood of abuse. All calls/texts were documented for 4 weeks. At the study's conclusion, participants were surveyed using Press Ganey metrics. Providers were surveyed before and after to assess their likelihood of providing patients with their PPN and its impact on work demands. RESULTS: Of the 507 participants enrolled, 266 were randomized to the phone number group (+PN). Of 44 calls/texts from 24 participants, 8 were considered inappropriate. Ten participants were predicted to abuse the PPN, but only one was accurately identified. Participants in the +PN group had a greater mean composite satisfaction score than the control group (4.8 vs 4.3; Welch's t-test, P < .0011). At the conclusion of the study, providers were more likely to share their PPN (Wilcoxon signed-rank test, P < .0313), and their perceived impact of this practice on workload was lower (Wilcoxon signed-rank test, P < .0469). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates low patient utilization of provider PPNs, and poor provider predictive ability of patient abuse. Receipt of provider's PPN was associated with improved patient satisfaction.

Optimizing Testing for BPPV - The Loaded Dix-Hallpike.

OBJECTIVES: Although the Dix-Hallpike testing is generally considered as the gold standard for the identification of the posterior canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), we investigated a modification of the maneuver termed the "loaded Dix-Hallpike." STUDY DESIGN: Prospective randomized controlled trial. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-eight patients participated in this prospective study comparing the standard Dix-Hallpike (S-DH) to the loaded Dix-Hallpike (L-DH) test. Each patient underwent repeated testing with the S-DH and the L-DH. The patients were placed into two groups. Fourteen patients underwent 3 rounds of S-DH testing followed by 3 rounds of L-DH testing. The other fourteen patients underwent 3 rounds of L-DH testing followed by 3 rounds of S-DH testing. The duration of nystagmus and the latency prior to the onset of nystagmus were measured for each test. Additionally, the patients were asked to rate the severity of their symptoms following each test. RESULTS: The duration of nystagmus of the L-DH was significantly longer than that of the S-DH (p<0.0001). The patients reported a higher severity score with L-DH as compared to with S-DH (p<0.001). The L-DH was found to be more sensitive than the S-DH (p=0.0131). CONCLUSION: The L-DH produces significantly longer duration of nystagmus, stronger symptoms, and improved sensitivity when compared to the S-DH.

Predicting pediatric tracheal airway size from anthropomorphic measurements.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the relationship between body mass index and tracheal airway size in children. METHODS: Retrospective case series. CT or MRI images of the neck of 171 pediatric patients obtained from 2000 to 2010 at a tertiary pediatric hospital were analyzed. Age, gender, height, weight, BMI and CDC weight classification for each patient were compared with axial CT measurements (AP diameter and width) and calculated cross-sectional airway area. Linear regression models were performed to identify factors predictive of airway size. RESULTS: Age ranged from 2 to 20 years. Weight was the most significant predictor of tracheal AP diameter (P = 0.029), with height also approaching statistical significance (P = 0.051). Tracheal width was best predicted by height (P = 0.09). Weight was the only statistically significant predictor of cross-sectional tracheal area (P = 0.002). Body mass index was not a statistically significant predictor of airway size in any dimension; however, there was an obvious trend towards decreasing tracheal width and cross-sectional area in patients with BMI of 25 or greater. CONCLUSION: In pediatric patients, estimation of endotracheal or tracheostomy tube size should take into account height, weight and BMI in addition to the patient's age. Patients with elevated BMI may have smaller tracheal sizes in various dimensions than normal or low-weight patients.

Radiologic sinus inflammation and symptoms of chronic rhinosinusitis in a population-based sample.

BACKGROUND: Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) epidemiology has been largely studied using symptom-based case definitions, without assessment of objective sinus findings. OBJECTIVE: To describe radiologic sinus opacification and the prevalence of CRS, defined by the co-occurrence of symptoms and sinus opacification, in a general population-based sample. METHODS: We collected questionnaires and sinus CT scans from 646 participants selected from a source population of 200 769 primary care patients. Symptom status (CRSS ) was based on guideline criteria, and objective radiologic inflammation (CRSO ) was based on the Lund-Mackay (L-M) score using multiple L-M thresholds for positivity. Participants with symptoms and radiologic inflammation were classified as CRSS+O . We performed negative binomial regression to assess factors associated with L-M score and logistic regression to evaluate factors associated with CRSS+O . Using weighted analysis, we calculated estimates for the source population. RESULTS: The proportion of women with L-M scores ≥ 3, 4, or 6 (CRSO ) was 11.1%, 9.9%, and 5.7%, respectively, and 16.1%, 14.6%, and 8.7% among men. The respective proportion with CRSS+O was 1.7%, 1.6%, and 0.45% among women and 8.8%, 7.5%, and 3.6% among men. Men had higher odds of CRSS+O compared to women. A greater proportion of men (vs women) had any opacification in the frontal, anterior ethmoid, and sphenoid sinuses. CONCLUSION: In a general population-based sample in Pennsylvania, sinus opacification was more common among men than in women and opacification occurred in different locations by sex. Male sex, migraine headache, and prior sinus surgery were associated with higher odds of CRSS+O .