Home Otolaryngology August 2017 Briefing – Otolaryngology

August 2017 Briefing – Otolaryngology

Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Otolaryngology for August 2017. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.

Minimal Evidence for Electronic Communication Guidelines

THURSDAY, Aug. 31, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Minimal evidence is available for guidelines for electronic communication between patients and providers, according to research published online Aug. 28 in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association.

Local Allergic Rhinitis Often Progresses Over Time

THURSDAY, Aug. 31, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Patients with local allergic rhinitis (LAR) show worsening of rhinitis, greater tendency toward development of asthma, and impairment of quality of life after 10 years, but have a similar rate of development of allergic rhinitis with systemic atopy as controls, according to research published online Aug. 22 in Allergy.

W-Plasty Closure in Posterior Occipital Hairline Acceptable

THURSDAY, Aug. 31, 2017 (HealthDay News) — For closures in the posterior occipital hairline, cosmetic outcomes are similar for primary W-plasty and traditional straight-line (SL) trichophytic closure techniques, according to a study published online Aug. 24 in JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery.

Proactive Approach Encouraged for Online Patient Reviews

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 30, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Most patients are using online reviews as a first step to finding a new doctor, with 65 percent forming an opinion from reading one to six reviews, according to a report published in Medical Economics.

Low Rate of Recurrence Seen for Serious Reactions to Vaccines

TUESDAY, Aug. 29, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Severe vaccine reactions recur rarely, if ever, when a child receives the same vaccine again, or one with similar ingredients, according to a review published online Aug. 28 in Pediatrics.

CDC: Not All Newborns Getting Heart Disease, Hearing Loss Tests

MONDAY, Aug. 28, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Some newborns in the United States still aren’t getting screened for hearing loss or congenital heart disease, according to research published in the Aug. 25 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Computed Tomography Useful for Staging Head, Neck Melanoma

MONDAY, Aug. 28, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Patients with head and neck melanoma benefit from the introduction of initial staging using computed tomography (CT), according to research published online Aug. 21 in Head & Neck.

Hearing Loss Contributing to Patient-Doctor Miscommunication

THURSDAY, Aug. 24, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Many seniors may not hear everything their doctors tell them, and that could raise the risk of medical errors, according to a research letter published online Aug. 24 in JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery.

Nurse-, System-Related Factors Analyzed in Wrong-Patient Events

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 23, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Greater focus is needed on correct identification processes in order to prevent wrong-patient medication administration incidents, and system supports for nurses are critical, according to a study published online Aug. 17 in the Journal of Clinical Nursing.

Oral Corticosteroids No Benefit for LRI in Non-Asthmatic Adults

TUESDAY, Aug. 22, 2017 (HealthDay News) — For adults without asthma, with acute cough and at least one lower respiratory tract symptom, prednisolone does not reduce cough duration or severity, according to a study published in the Aug. 22/29 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Hours Worked Impacted by Kids for Female, Not Male Doctors

MONDAY, Aug. 21, 2017 (HealthDay News) — For women, but not men, in dual-physician couples, weekly hours worked are lower for those with versus those without children, according to a research letter published online Aug. 21 in JAMA Internal Medicine.

Literacy Level an Issue in Laryngectomy-Related Patient Ed

MONDAY, Aug. 21, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Current laryngectomy-related patient education materials are too difficult for an average American adult to understand, according to a study published online Aug. 16 in Head & Neck.

Radioiodine Therapy for Thyroid Cancer Doesn’t Up Stroke Risk

FRIDAY, Aug. 18, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Radioiodine (I-131) therapy for thyroid cancer is not associated with increased risk of stroke, according to a study published online Aug. 16 in Head & Neck.

Moderate, Severe OSA Linked to Elevated Blood Coagulability

FRIDAY, Aug. 18, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Moderate and severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are associated with elevated blood coagulability markers, according to a study published online Aug. 17 in JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery.

Few Racial Differences in Peds Anesthesia Meds Administration

THURSDAY, Aug. 17, 2017 (HealthDay News) — There does not appear to be significant racial differences in preoperative or intraoperative medication administration for children undergoing emergency appendectomies, according to a study published online Aug. 10 in Pediatric Anesthesia.

Automated Analyses of Night Blood O2 Detects Apnea

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 16, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Neural network-based automated analyses of nocturnal oximetry (nSpO2) recordings provide accurate identification of obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSA) severity among habitually snoring children, according to a study published online July 31 in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

Studies Used for FDA Approval of Device Changes Often Low Quality

TUESDAY, Aug. 15, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Many studies used to support U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval of high-risk medical device modifications are not controlled; and efficacy of drugs granted accelerated approval is often confirmed three years after approval, according to two studies published in the Aug. 15 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

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Specialist Access No Better With Adoption of Access Standards

TUESDAY, Aug. 15, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Adoption of specialty access standards does not improve access to specialists, according to a study published online Aug. 14 in JAMA Internal Medicine.

Hyperglycemia May Cause Caries but Not Periodontal Disease

MONDAY, Aug. 14, 2017 (HealthDay News) — For rodents with diabetes, periodontal inflammation may be derived from dental caries rather than periodontal disease (PD), according to a study published online Aug. 9 in Diabetes.

Patient Profile Impacts QOL With Radiation Tx in Head, Neck Cancer

FRIDAY, Aug. 11, 2017 (HealthDay News) — There are patient characteristics and clinical factors independently associated with physical and mental quality of life (QOL) in patients with head and neck cancer undergoing radiotherapy, according to a study published online Aug. 2 in Head & Neck.

Swallowing Exercises Rehabilitate Chronic Dysphagia

THURSDAY, Aug. 10, 2017 (HealthDay News) — A novel rehabilitative swallowing exercise program aids long-term head and neck cancer survivors with chronic dysphagia, according to a study published online Aug. 2 in Head & Neck.

Analysis of EBV DNA in Plasma Samples IDs Nasopharyngeal CA

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 9, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Analysis of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA in plasma samples can identify early asymptomatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma, according to a study published in the Aug. 10 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

Age, Tympanogram May ID When to Skip Abx for Acute Otitis Media

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 9, 2017 (HealthDay News) — For young children with acute otitis media (AOM), older age and peaked tympanogram at entry are associated with reduced risk of treatment failure, according to research published online Aug. 8 in Pediatrics.

Guidance Provided for Preventing Practice Billing Errors

MONDAY, Aug. 7, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Strategies can help to prevent medical practice billing errors, according to a report published in Medical Economics.

Epidemiology of Acute Otitis Media Changed From 2006-2016

MONDAY, Aug. 7, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Since the introduction of pneumococcal vaccines, the epidemiology of acute otitis media (AOM) has changed considerably, but risk factors have not, according to a study published online Aug. 7 in Pediatrics.

Intervention May Cut Muscle Loss From RT for Head & Neck Cancer

MONDAY, Aug. 7, 2017 (HealthDay News) — An exercise and nutrition intervention is feasible for patients with head and neck cancer during or after radiotherapy, and the intervention is potentially effective in mitigating loss of muscle mass, according to a small study published online July 31 in Cancer.

Loss of Smell May Affect Nutrition in Patients With Renal Disease

FRIDAY, Aug. 4, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) have lower mean odor identification scores, according to a study published online Aug. 3 in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.

Patient Groups Provide Input for Cochlear Implant QOL Tool

THURSDAY, Aug. 3, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Adult patient focus groups have been used to develop an initial item bank for a cochlear implant (CI)-specific quality-of-life (QOL) instrument, according to a study published online Aug. 3 in JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery.

Revenue Exceeds Expenditures for Many ABMS Member Boards

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 2, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Overall revenue exceeds expenditures for many American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) member boards, according to a study published in the Aug. 1 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Little Risk of Oropharyngeal Mucosal Transmission of Zika

TUESDAY, Aug. 1, 2017 (HealthDay News) — The Zika virus doesn’t appear to be transmitted through saliva, according to a study published online Aug. 1 in Nature Communications.

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