Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Otolaryngology for January 2018. 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.
Survival Trends for Cancer Generally Increasing Worldwide
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 31, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Worldwide, survival trends for cancer are generally increasing, although there is considerable global variation in survival rates, according to a study published online Jan. 30 in The Lancet.
Full-Length Inferior Turbinate Reduction Best Improves Airflow
TUESDAY, Jan. 30, 2018 (HealthDay News) — The effectiveness of partial inferior turbinate reduction (ITR) for the treatment of nasal obstruction may depend on individual patient anatomy, according to a study published online Jan. 25 in JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery.
Regulators Trying to Reduce Physician Burden Linked to EHR
MONDAY, Jan. 29, 2018 (HealthDay News) — The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) is trying to address some of the issues relating to physician electronic health record (EHR) burden, partly with the appointment of Don Rucker, M.D., who is skilled in informatics and board-certified in emergency and internal medicine, according to an article published in Medical Economics.
Hearing Loss Common Among Heart Failure Patients
MONDAY, Jan. 29, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Nearly three-quarters of patients aged 70 or older with heart failure (HF) have hearing loss, according to a research letter published online Jan. 25 in JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery.
Health Care Spending Up, Mainly Due to Rising Prices
MONDAY, Jan. 29, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Americans under age 65 years who were insured through their employer spent more than ever before on health care in 2016, with faster spending growth in 2016 than in recent years, according to the Health Care Cost Institute (HCCI)’s annual Health Care Cost and Utilization Report.
Odds of Post-Op Mortality Increase As Weekend Approaches
FRIDAY, Jan. 26, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Following elective surgery, the odds of mortality rise in a graded manner as the day of the week of surgery approaches the weekend, according to research published in the February issue of Medical Care.
Out-of-Pocket Expenditures Down With ACA Implementation
TUESDAY, Jan. 23, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was associated with reduced out-of-pocket spending, although increases were noted in mean premium spending, according to a study published online Jan. 22 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
Symptoms of Depression May Influence Head, Neck CA Mortality
MONDAY, Jan. 22, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Depressive symptoms at the time of treatment planning can predict overall two-year mortality in patients with head and neck cancer, according to a study published online Jan. 22 in Cancer.
In-Office Angiolytic Laser Effective for Vocal Polyps
MONDAY, Jan. 22, 2018 (HealthDay News) — In-office angiolytic laser procedures are effective for vocal fold polyps, though with occasional occurrence of minor adverse events, according to a study published online Jan. 18 in JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery.
Professionals Disagree About Asking Patients About Sexuality
THURSDAY, Jan. 18, 2018 (HealthDay News) — National Health Service (NHS) England recently recommended that professionals ask all patients their sexual orientation at every opportunity, although opinions are divided on whether this is appropriate, according to an article published online Jan. 17 in The BMJ.
Onabotulinum Toxin-A Can Safely Improve Sleep Bruxism
THURSDAY, Jan. 18, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Onabotulinum toxin-A (BoNT-A) injections can improve sleep bruxism, according to a study published online Jan. 17 in Neurology.
Speech Outcomes Can Be Predicted After Cochlear Implant
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 17, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Brain areas unaffected by auditory deprivation can predict speech outcomes after cochlear implant (CI) in children, according to a study published online Jan. 15 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.
Spontaneous Pharynx Perforation After Forceful or Stifled Sneeze
TUESDAY, Jan. 16, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Spontaneous pharyngeal perforation can occur after a forceful sneeze, according to a case report published online Jan. 15 in BMJ Case Reports.
Serial Intralesional Steroids May Improve Tracheal Stenosis Sx
FRIDAY, Jan. 12, 2018 (HealthDay News) — For adults with subglottic and proximal tracheal stenosis (SGS/PTS), serial in-office intralesional steroid injection (ISI) after endoscopic dilation is associated with a prolonged surgery-free interval (SFI), according to a study published online Jan. 11 in JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery.
Corynebacterium, Kingella Abundance Tied to HNSCC Risk
FRIDAY, Jan. 12, 2018 (HealthDay News) — The overall oral microbiome composition is not associated with the risk of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), but greater abundance of genera Corynebacterium and Kingella is associated with decreased HNSCC risk, according to a study published online Jan. 11 in JAMA Oncology.
AMA Online Tools Address Systems-Level Physician Burnout
THURSDAY, Jan. 11, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Tools and resources have been developed to help address physician burnout at the systems level, which may affect more than half of doctors, according to a report published by the American Medical Association (AMA).
Economic Impact of Physicians Quantified for 2015
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 10, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Physicians have a large economic impact across the nation, creating an aggregate of $2.3 trillion of economic activity and supporting employment of nearly 12.6 million Americans, according to a report published by the American Medical Association.
Pediatric Sports-, Recreation-Related Eye Injuries Common
MONDAY, Jan. 8, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Pediatric sports- and recreation-related eye injuries are common, most often occurring among boys, according to a study published online Jan. 8 in Pediatrics.
Physicians Frequently Continue to Work While Ill
FRIDAY, Jan. 5, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Many physicians continue working and caring for patients while they are sick, according to an article published in Medical Economics.
For Hospitals, No Benefit for Early Adoption of Financial Incentives
FRIDAY, Jan. 5, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Hospitals that volunteered to be under financial incentives for more than a decade as part of the Premier Hospital Quality Incentive Demonstration (early adopters) do not have better process scores or lower mortality than hospitals where these incentives were implemented later under the Hospital Value-Based Purchasing program (late adopters), according to a study published online Jan. 4 in The BMJ.
Certain Stresses, Burnout Causing Some Women to Leave Medicine
THURSDAY, Jan. 4, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Though equal numbers of men and women are now entering medical schools, the majority of physicians are still male, and female physicians face several unique stressors, according to a report published online in Medical Economics.
Bimodal Auditory-Somatosensory Stimulation May Reduce Tinnitus
THURSDAY, Jan. 4, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Bimodal auditory-somatosensory stimulation that induces long-term depression (LTD) in the dorsal cochlear nucleus appears promising for individuals with tinnitus, according to a study published online Jan. 3 in Science Translational Medicine.
Immune-Related Adverse Events Up With Checkpoint Inhibitors
THURSDAY, Jan. 4, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Although patients with pre-existing autoimmune disease who receive checkpoint inhibitors (CPIs) are at risk for exacerbation of their disease, immune-related adverse events (irAEs), or both, events can often be managed without discontinuing CPIs, according to a review published online Jan. 2 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Direct, Indirect Voice Tx Both Aid Children With Vocal Fold Nodules
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 3, 2018 (HealthDay News) — For children with vocal fold nodules, both direct and indirect voice therapy approaches improve voice-related quality of life, according to a study published online Dec. 28 in JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery.
Higher Risk of Musculoskeletal Disorders in Some Physicians
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 3, 2018 (HealthDay News) — The prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) appears to be high for at-risk physicians, according to a review published online Dec. 27 in JAMA Surgery.
In Utero Exposure to Topiramate Linked to Risk of Oral Clefts
TUESDAY, Jan. 2, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Infants born to women exposed to topiramate, especially women with epilepsy taking higher doses, have an increased risk of oral clefts at birth, according to a study published online Dec. 27 in Neurology.
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