The Laryngoscope
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To assess the current state of mentorship in otolaryngology residency. ⋯ The current study reveals variability in the mentorship experience in otolaryngology residency. Potential deficiencies may exist, including absence of formal mentorship in some residency programs. Increased attention to mentorship, especially with regard to research, career preparation, and quality of life may improve the overall residency experience.
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To study national trends, variances, and outcomes in patients admitted with epiglottitis in the United States. We hypothesize that the incidence of epiglottitis has decreased, mortality has decreased, and that there has been a shift toward older patients being admitted with epiglottitis. ⋯ An 8-year retrospective review of epiglottitis admissions revealed that epiglottitis continues to be a significant clinical entity in the United States. The portrait of a typical patient that will be admitted with epiglottitis is a mid-40-year-old, Caucasian, urban, male, with comorbid medical conditions, who will remain in the hospital on average for 4 days, resulting in total charges of $25,072 (2006 dollars). The majority of the mortalities are in adult patients. The majority of patients with epiglottitis has significant medical comorbid conditions and will be managed at the admitting hospital and not be transferred. This series identifies two newly recognized and uniquely vulnerable populations for epiglottitis: infants (<1 year old) and the elderly (patients >85 years old).
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Using a retrospective approach, the aim of this study was to confirm the previously described value of fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography ((18)F-FDG-PET/CT) in patients with primary extranodal lymphoma of the head and neck region. Additionally, the clinical significance of the semiquantitative analysis of the standardized uptake value (SUV), its predictive role in the follow-up setting, and its value in detection of synchronous primaries were studied. ⋯ (18)F-FDG-PET/CT imaging is a potent primary staging tool. It also has application as an instrument for evaluation of follow-up and response to therapy in patients suffering from primary extranodal lymphoma and for detection of secondary malignancies. Furthermore, (18)F-FDG uptake by the primary lesion may be related to better survival.
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In clinical research, which is distinctly quantitative and rigidly fixed to a written protocol, the need for precision is great, especially when multicenter trials are planned. The Sunnybrook Facial Grading System (SB) is a well-established tool for assessing facial movement outcomes; however, some ambiguities do arise. The purpose of this study was to construct specific grading criteria and to test the intra-rater and inter-rater reliability before and after the use of these criteria. The hypothesis was that even in naïve observers, specific criteria improve reliability. ⋯ To our knowledge, this is the first report of specific criteria for completing the SB system. It is also the first in-depth description of the location within the system in which the majority of variances occur.