The Laryngoscope
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Comparative Study
Readability assessment of internet-based patient education materials related to facial fractures.
Various professional societies, clinical practices, hospitals, and health care-related Web sites provide Internet-based patient education material (IPEMs) to the general public. However, this information may be written above the 6th-grade reading level recommended by the US Department of Health and Human Services. The purpose of this study is to assess the readability of facial fracture (FF)-related IPEMs and compare readability levels of IPEMs provided by four sources: professional societies, clinical practices, hospitals, and miscellaneous sources. ⋯ IPEMs related to FFs are written above the recommended 6th-grade reading level. Consequently, this information would be difficult to understand by the average US patient.
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To validate a clinical assessment score for pediatric sleep-disordered breathing. ⋯ The CAS-15 proved useful in an office setting and correctly diagnosed 72% of referred children when compared to polysomnography. It correlated well with external measures and demonstrated a good response to clinical change.
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Comparative Study
The effect of pneumonia on short-term outcomes and cost of care after head and neck cancer surgery.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has threatened to discontinue reimbursements for ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) as a preventable "never event." We sought to determine the relationship between pneumonia and in-hospital mortality, complications, length of hospitalization and costs in head and neck cancer (HNCA) surgery. ⋯ Postoperative pneumonia is associated with increased mortality, complications, length of hospitalization, and hospital-related costs in HNCA surgical patients. Variables associated with an increased risk of pneumonia are inherent comorbidities in HNCA and known risk factors for VAP, making this a high-risk group for this never event. Caution must be used in the institution of reforms that threaten to inadequately reimburse the provision of care to this vulnerable population. Aggressive preoperative identification and treatment of underlying pulmonary disease, weight loss, and dysphagia may reduce morbidity and mortality.
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Review Comparative Study
Development of a disease-specific quality-of-life questionnaire for anterior and central skull base pathology--the skull base inventory.
Anterior and central skull base lesions and their surgical treatment (endoscopic or open approaches) can affect quality of life. A disease-specific instrument is needed to compare quality of life for different surgical approaches. ⋯ The Skull Base Inventory is a disease-specific quality-of-life instrument. Psychometric properties have yet to be tested. It may serve to compare quality of life for endoscopic or open procedures.