A Novel Grading System for Supraglottic Stenosis Based on Morphology and Functional Status.

OBJECTIVE: Currently, no classification system exists to grade the severity of supraglottic stenosis. The aim of this investigation was to (1) develop a novel grading system for supraglottic stenosis that can both enhance communication between providers and relay information about patient functional status and (2) determine the reliability of the grading system. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of patients with supraglottic stenosis at three institutions from 2010-2021 was conducted. After demographic data were collected, two focus group meetings of five laryngologists were held to develop a grading system based on functional status and morphology of stenosis seen on laryngoscopy. Three laryngologists then used the grading system to rate 20 case examples of supraglottic stenosis. Quadratic-weighted kappa coefficients were calculated to assess inter-rater and intra-rater reliabilities of the novel grading system. RESULTS: Twenty-eight patients were included. Epiglottic and arytenoid fixation were morphological features associated with worse functional outcomes such as requiring a G-tube or a tracheostomy, respectively. Inter-rater reliability was substantial to almost perfect (Kw = 0.79-0.81) and intra-rater reliability was almost perfect for all raters (0.88-1.0) when using the novel grading system. CONCLUSION: A grading system for supraglottic stenosis has been proposed with strong inter-rater and intra-rater reliabilities. The proposed system has the advantage of being descriptive of both patient functionality and morphology of the stenosis. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3-According to the Oxford Center for Evidence-Based Medicine 2011 level of evidence guidelines, this non-randomized retrospective cohort study is classified as level 3 evidence Laryngoscope, 133:1442-1447, 2023.

Early Tracheostomy in Morbidly Obese COVID-19 Patients: A Case Series and Discussion of Institutional Practices.

Tracheostomies are often utilized in critically ill patients on prolonged mechanical ventilation, to enhance respiratory function and facilitate ventilator weaning. Many coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients develop serious respiratory illness requiring ventilator management. In the early phase of this pandemic, the risk of disease spread lead to the development of conservative guidelines which advocated delaying tracheostomy at least two to three weeks from intubation and, preferably, with negative COVID-19 testing. The morbidly obese patient population, however, presents a unique scenario in which early tracheostomy may be beneficial. In this article, we discuss our institution's current practices along with clinical outcomes with reference to intensive care literature and propose that early tracheotomy in COVID-19 patients should be considered on a case by case basis.