Improving Health Literacy of Elective Procedures in Pediatric Otolaryngology.

OBJECTIVE: To identify if the addition of supplementary material, such as video or written resources, to the consent process, can improve a patient's or guardian's health literacy in pediatric otolaryngology. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective randomized crossover design. SETTING: Tertiary Academic Center. METHODS: From April 18, 2022 to August 29, 2023, 151 children scheduled to undergo 1 of 6 procedures by the same provider were queried and completed a 6-question baseline test based on the information. They each watched a 2-minute video and read a written summary about the procedure; the order of resources was randomized. They answered the same 6-questions after viewing each resource. All tests were scored based on accuracy using an ordinal scale of 1 to 6. Resource preference was collected. Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were run to analyze differences in scores after the addition of supplementary resources and logistic regression modeling was run to analyze demographic effects on postresource score differences. RESULTS: Of 151 participants, 74.2% were guardians, with 78.8% having completed a high school or greater education. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test indicated that postresource scores were statistically significantly higher (P < .001) than pretest scores. Logistic regression modeling showed that participants were less likely to show score improved if they were younger than 18 and were of white race. A majority (87.4%) preferred the addition of a video to the consent process. CONCLUSION: The addition of video or written resources significantly improves understanding of elective procedures. The development of procedure-specific resources can supplement the consent process and ensure decision-makers have adequate health literacy for informed decision-making.

Exploration of the Utility of the Generic ICHOM Standard Set Measures in Evaluating the Speech of Patients with Cleft Lip/Palate.

Background: The International Consortium of Health Outcome Measurements (ICHOM) standard set for cleft care appraisal recommends clinicians assess articulation with percentage consonants correct (PCC) and velopharyngeal function with velopharyngeal competency rating (VPC-R). This study explores the utility and limitations of these generic measures in detecting cleft speech sound disorders by comparing them with two cleft-specific speech-rating systems, cleft audit protocol of speech-augmented Americleft modification (CAPS-A-AM) and Pittsburgh weighted speech scale (PWSS). Methods: Consecutive children with repaired, nonsyndromic cleft lip/palate, aged 5 years or older (n = 27) underwent prospective speech evaluations conducted at a single academic institution. These evaluations were conducted, recorded, and evaluated by blinded speech-language pathologists experienced with all tools. Results: When comparing measures of articulation, PCC scores correlated better with scores for relevant subcomponents of CAPS-A-AM than PWSS. When comparing measures of velopharyngeal function, VPC-R scores correlated well with relevant components of both scales. Using a "screening test versus diagnostic test" analogy, VPC-R ratings were 87.5% sensitive and 73.7% specific for detecting velopharyngeal dysfunction according to subcomponents of CAPS-A-AM, and 70.6% sensitive and 100% specific according to subcomponents of PWSS. Conclusions: This exploratory study demonstrates that PCC and VPC-R perform moderately well in detecting articulatory and velopharyngeal dysfunction in patients with cleft lip/palate; however, these tools cannot describe nuances of cleft speech sound disorder. Thus, although PCC and VPC-R adequately track basic minimum outcomes, we encourage teams to consider extending the standard set by adopting a cleft-specific measurement system for further evaluation of the tools.

The Cochlear Implant "Seatbelt" Technique for Receiver/Stimulator Fixation.

Receiver/stimulator migration and extrusion are among the most commonly reported complications of cochlear implantation. Current techniques implement either a tight subperiosteal pocket or postauricular bone well. Here we describe a safe and effective technique to secure a cochlear implant receiver/stimulator with a Mersilene cervical cerclage tape "seatbelt." Laryngoscope, 134:3374-3376, 2024.

Predictors of Non-Rhinogenic Facial Pain or Pressure in Otolaryngology Clinic.

OBJECTIVES: Identify demographic and clinical characteristics that may help differentiate non-rhinogenic facial pain or pressure (NRFP) from sinusitis. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective single-institution study. SETTING: Tertiary Care Center Rhinology Clinic. METHODS: All patients presenting with a complaint of facial pain or pressure over a 3-year period were included. Patients were categorized into either NRFP or sinusitis groups based on computed tomography imaging and nasal endoscopy. Data pertaining to demographics, history, and SNOT-22 questionnaire domains were compared via univariate analysis as well as logistic regression with backwards variable selection. RESULTS: A total of 296 patients met inclusion criteria, of which 128 had NRFP and 168 had sinusitis. A significantly greater percentage of patients in the NRFP group were women of childbearing age (40.6% vs 28.0%, P = .02). Backwards variable selection resulted in a model with four variables predicting a diagnosis of NRFP-female sex (odds ratio [OR] = 2.998, P < .0001), no history of prior sinonasal surgery (OR = 0.340 for history vs no history, P < .01), low nasal domain score (OR = 0.551, P < .0001), and high ear/facial domain score (OR = 1.453, P < .01). CONCLUSION: Accurately identifying patients with NRFP at initial presentation based on history would help direct patients to the appropriate care pathway and prevent ineffective treatments such as antibiotics and sinus procedures. Our findings suggest that the suspicion for NRFP should be higher in women of child-bearing age as well as patients with greater ear/facial symptoms or lesser nasal symptoms.

Prognosis of Acute Low-Tone Hearing Loss Without Vertigo: A Scoping Review.

OBJECTIVE: Despite its relatively high prevalence, our understanding of the natural clinical course of acute low-tone hearing loss (ALHL) without vertigo remains incomplete. The purpose of this study is to summarize the findings of studies that evaluated recovery from hearing loss (HL), recurrence and/or fluctuation of HL, and progression to Meniere's Disease (MD) of patients presenting with ALHL without vertigo. METHODS: A scoping review of the English literature was performed. On May 14, 2020 and July 6, 2022, MEDLINE, Embase, and Scopus were searched to identify articles related to the prognosis of ALHL. To be included, articles had to present outcomes that were clearly distinguishable for patients with ALHL without vertigo. Two reviewers evaluated articles for inclusion and extracted data. Disagreements were adjudicated by a third reviewer. RESULTS: Forty-one studies were included. There was extensive heterogeneity between studies in regard to defining ALHL, treatment methods, and time of follow-up. Most of the cohorts (39 out of 40) reported partial or complete recovery of hearing in the majority (>50%) of patients, although reports of recurrence were relatively common. Progression to MD was infrequently reported. Shorter time from onset of symptoms to treatment predicted better hearing outcomes in 6 of 8 studies. CONCLUSION: The literature suggests that although the majority of patients with ALHL experience hearing improvement, recurrence and/or fluctuation are common, and progression to MD occurs in a minority of patients. Additional trials utilizing standardized inclusion and outcome criteria are needed to determine the ideal treatment for ALHL. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: NA Laryngoscope, 133:2457-2469, 2023.

Guideline Adherence to Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo Treatment and Management in Primary Care.

OBJECTIVE: To determine adherence to the 2017 American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS) guidelines for the management and treatment of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) in primary care (PC) and compare whether key recommendations differed by sex, race, or insurance status. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective chart review. SETTING: Twenty-six clinic locations within a single healthcare system. METHODS: Charts of 458 patients diagnosed with BPPV in PC between 2018 and 2022 were reviewed. Encounters where the diagnosis of BPPV was made were identified. From the clinical encounter note, demographics, symptomatology, management, and treatment were extracted. Nonparametric analyses were used to identify whether AAO-HNS guidelines differed regarding sex, race, or insurance status. RESULTS: Of 458 patients, 249 (54.4%) did not receive a diagnostic exam, and only 4 (0.9%) patients received imaging. Regarding treatment, only 51 (11.1%) received the Epley maneuver, with 263 (57.4%) receiving vestibular suppressant medication and 12.4% receiving a referral to a specialist. In regard to sex, race, or insurance status, there was no significant difference in receiving a Dix-Hallpike diagnostic maneuver, Epley maneuver, vestibular suppressant medication, imaging, or referral to a specialist. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that there continue to be gaps in the adherence to AAO-HNS guidelines; however, these gaps did not differ by sex, race, or insurance status. Care should be taken to increase the use of diagnostic and treatment maneuvers but decrease the use of vestibular-suppressant medications for the treatment of BPPV in PC.

Incidence of Referable Retinal Disease in Diabetic Patients at a Primary Care Practice.

Purpose: This work tests the feasibility of remote ophthalmic imaging to identify referable retinal abnormalities and assesses the effectiveness of color fundus photography (CFP) vs optical coherence tomography (OCT) for this purpose. Methods: This prospective, nonrandomized study included 633 patients with diabetes at Duke Primary Care. Undilated patients underwent screening with CFP and OCT camera (MaestroCare, Topcon). Images were graded independently for interpretability and the presence of predetermined retinal disease. Retinal disease was classified as diabetic retinopathy (DR) referable to a retina specialist or incidental findings referable to either a retina specialist or a general ophthalmologist, depending on severity. Results: Mean (SD) age of screened patients was 66 (13) years, and 49% were women. The average glycated hemoglobin A1c level was 7.6 % (SD, 1.7%), and 30% of the patients were on insulin. The average duration of diabetes was 5.9 (SD, 7.3) years. Remote images from OCT were significantly more interpretable than CFP (98% vs 83%, respectively; P < .001). Referral rates were 9% for DR and 28% for incidental findings. Among patients with DR, OCT and CFP were helpful in 58% and 87% of cases, respectively (P < .001). Conclusions: Remote diagnosis of ophthalmic imaging at the point of service may allow for early identification of retinal disease and timely referral and treatment. Our approach showed that OCT had significantly better interpretability, while CFP was more helpful in identifying DR. These findings may be important when choosing the screening device in a specific context.