Occult Abdominal Trauma.

Occult abdominal injuries are common and can be associated with increased risk of morbidity and mortality. Patients with a delayed presentation to care or who are multiply injured are at increased risk of this type of injury, and a high index of suspicion must be maintained. A careful combination of history, physical examination, laboratory, and imaging can be quite helpful in mitigating the risk of a missed occult abdominal injury.

The Measurement of Airflow Using Singing Helmet That Allows Free Movement of the Jaw.

Objectives: Airflow measurement is a useful method of evaluating laryngeal physiology. We introduce a noninvasive device that measures airflow without restricting jaw movement or requiring phonation into a mouthpiece, thus facilitating measurement during singing and connected speech.

Study Design: Validation and human subject trials were conducted.

Evaluation of auditory and visual feedback for airflow interruption.

Introduction: Clinical application of mechanical interruption methods for measuring aerodynamic parameters has been hindered by relatively high intrasubject variability. To improve the intrasubject reliability, we evaluated the effect of auditory and visual feedback on subject performance when measuring aerodynamic parameters with the airflow interrupter.

Methods: Eleven subjects performed four sets of 10 trials with the airflow interrupter: no feedback (control); auditory feedback (tone matching subject's F0 played over headphones); visual feedback (real-time feedback of sound pressure level, frequency, and airflow); and combined auditory and visual feedback.

Use of the rabbit larynx in an excised larynx setup.

Objective: To modify the excised larynx bench apparatus to accommodate experiments with rabbit larynges.

Study Design: Methodological study using ex vivo rabbit larynges.

Methods: Rabbit larynges (n=5) were dissected and mounted on a custom-made phonatory apparatus.

Spatiotemporal analysis of normal and pathological human vocal fold vibrations.

Purpose: For spatiotemporal analysis to become a relevant clinical tool, it must be applied to human vocal fold vibration. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis will help assess the ability of spatiotemporal parameters to detect pathological vibration.

Materials And Methods: Spatiotemporal parameters of correlation length and entropy were extracted from high-speed videos of 124 subjects, 67 without vocal fold pathology and 57 with either vocal fold polyps or nodules.

Phonation instability flow in excised canine larynges.

Objective: Disordered voices are often associated with abnormal changes in aerodynamic parameters of subglottal pressure (P(s)) and airflow. Phonation instability pressure (PIP) has been previously proposed to evaluate P(s) at the onset of chaotic phonation. We propose the concept of and measure phonation instability flow (PIF), the airflow at which phonation becomes chaotic.

Multiparameter analysis of titanium vocal fold medializing implant in an excised larynx model.

Objectives: We evaluated the efficacy of the titanium vocal fold medializing implant (TVFMI) for the treatment of unilateral vocal fold paralysis (UVFP) on the basis of acoustic, aerodynamic, and mucosal wave measurements in an excised larynx setup.

Methods: Measurements were recorded on 8 excised canine larynges with simulated UVFP before and after medialization with a TVFMI.

Results: The phonation threshold flow (p < 0.

Comparison of labial and mechanical interruption for measurement of aerodynamic parameters.

Objectives/hypothesis: To directly compare the mechanical and labial interruption techniques of measuring subglottal pressure (P(s)), mean flow rate (MFR), and laryngeal resistance (R(L)).

Methods: Thirty-four subjects performed 10 trials with both mechanical and labial interruption. P(s) and MFR were recorded, whereas R(L) was calculated by dividing P(s) by MFR.

Localization of the sentinel lymph node in tongue VX2 carcinoma via indirect CT lymphography combined with methylene blue dye injection.

Conclusions: Indirect computed tomography lymphography (CT-LG) combined with blue dye injection can locate the sentinel lymph node (SLN) in tongue carcinoma.

Objective: To localize the SLN in tongue VX2 carcinoma using indirect CT-LG combined with methylene blue injection.

Methods: Eighteen rabbits were placed into three groups: metastasis, hyperplasia, and control.

Phonation threshold pressure estimation using electroglottography in an airflow redirection system.

Objectives/hypothesis: The present study proposed to estimate phonation threshold pressure (PTP) noninvasively using airflow redirection into a pneumatic capacitance system.

Study Design: Prospective study.

Methods: Subjects phonated into the device, which interrupts airflow mechanically and redirects the flow into a pneumatic capacitor.

Differentiating between adductor and abductor spasmodic dysphonia using airflow interruption.

Objectives/hypothesis: To measure the laryngeal resistance (R(L)), subglottal pressure (P(s)), and mean flow rate (MFR) of adductor (ADSD) and abductor (ABSD) spasmodic dysphonia patients using the airflow interrupter.

Methods: The R(L) of six ABSD and seven ADSD patients was measured using the airflow interrupter, a noninvasive device designed to measure MFR and P(s) via mechanical balloon valve interruption. Subjects performed 10 trials at each of two intensity levels, with each trial consisting of a sustained /a/ during which phonation was interrupted for 500 ms.

Effect of dehydration on phonation threshold flow in excised canine larynges.

Objectives: The minimum airflow necessary to initiate stable vocal fold vibration--phonation threshold flow (PTF)--may increase as exposure to dry air increases. A critical period of dehydration may exist after which phonation can no longer be initiated.

Methods: We collected PTF data for 11 excised canine larynges mounted on a bench apparatus.

Indirect estimation of laryngeal resistance via airflow redirection.

Objectives: Our aim was to estimate aerodynamic parameters of laryngeal resistance (RL) and aerodynamic power indirectly from a subglottal pressure (Ps) data trace obtained with the airflow redirection system.

Methods: During airflow interruption, the airflow redirection tank fills capacitively with pressure until it reaches the subject's Ps. Therefore, a time constant, tau, can be extracted from the data trace and used to calculate RL.

Cervical lymph node metastasis model of pyriform sinus carcinoma.

Objective: To establish a cervical lymph node metastasis model of pyriform sinus VX2 carcinoma and investigate its metastatic features.

Methods: VX2 tumor tissue suspension was transplanted into the pyriform sinus submucosa of 15 rabbits under direct laryngoscopy. Rabbits were randomly placed into 1 of 3 groups, each comprised of 5 rabbits.