ENTtoday: December 2013

How Otolaryngologists Can Apply Predictive Medicine to Patient Care

Screening for newborn hearing loss, typing bitter taste receptors, HPV testing may help physicians prevent disease, determine proactive treatment strategies

Clinical Guidelines Issued for Tympanostomy Tubes in Children

Recommendations clarify optimal use of tubes, perioperative assessment of patients, postsurgical care

Otolaryngologists Research Role of Pepsin in Reflux, Lung Disease

Evidence suggests link between stomach enzyme and chronic pulmonary disease, presents treatment challenge for patients with positive pepsin test

Pepsin Test Can Better Detect Aspiration Reflux, Chronic Lung Disease

Assay for pepsin enzyme in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid highly accurate for assessing aspiration-associated extraesophageal reflux disease; may impact how physicians diagnose, treat pediatric patients with chronic lung disease

Is It Time to Reevaluate Your Physician Compensation Model?

Ongoing payment reform, healthcare consolidation forces otolaryngology practices to reconsider ways doctors are paid

Career Assessments Align Professional, Personal Goals

Routine checkups of what is or isn’t working at a current job can help otolaryngologists meld their values, strengths, passions with career path

Shift in Diagnosis, Treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea A Challenge for Otolaryngologists

Home sleep studies, automatic positive air pressure machines, varied surgical procedures spur physicians to explore non-traditonal options

Electronic Medical Records Mandate Could Lead to More Litigation

Regarding the article “Malpractice and the Otolaryngologist" (ENTtoday, October 2013), EMRs are expensive, time consuming, and will lead to lawsuits

Dysphagia, Odynophagia, Hoarseness in Elderly Man

A 97-year-old man presents with worsening dysphagia, odynophagia, mild hoarseness

Should Intranasal Splints Be Used after Nasal Septal Surgery?

Conventional splints have been linked to increased postoperative pain; thinner splints may result in improved mucosal status, less postsurgical discomfort

Laser vs. Manual Penetration of Stapes Footplate

Is there a difference in the effect on the bone conduction threshold of two different techniques of penetrating the stapes footplate during otosclerosis surgery?

No Evidence of CI Damage During Monopolar Cautery

Does monopolar cautery use adversely affect an existing cochlear implant?

Are Mastoid Pressure Dressings Necessary after Otologic Surgery to Prevent Postoperative Hematomas?

Evidence does not support routine use of mastoid pressure dressing to prevent hematoma, but loose dressings may be beneficial

Does Perioperative Sleep Disruption Impact Pain Perception?

Sleep interruptions can reduce patients’ threshold of pain, increase risk of complications, extend convalescence, contribute to poor physical/mental performance, lower patient satisfaction

Obese Children Face Higher Risk of SNHL

Is obesity linked to sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) in children?

Irrigations Better Able Than Sprays to Reach Parts of Nasal Cavity

How do nasal sprays and irrigations compare in delivering topical agents to the human olfactory epithelium?

Retropharyngeal Abscess Prediction Remains Limited

Is it possible to determine more standardized clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) for retropharyngeal abscesses (RPAs)?

Long-Term Botulinum Toxin Management of OMD

How useful is botulinum toxin (BT) for treating oromandibular dystonia (OMD)?