Demographics and Trends in Outpatient Surgery for Laryngeal Cancer: 2016-2021.

Objective: To analyze the utilization patterns of outpatient laryngoscopic excision procedures for laryngeal cancer in the United States, examining procedural costs and patient demographics to identify disparities in healthcare access.

Study Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Setting: National Ambulatory Surgery Sample database of major ambulatory surgeries in the United States, 2016-2021.

Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone Testing and Outcomes in Total Laryngectomy Patients.

Objective: Assess timing and prevalence of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) testing after total laryngectomy (TL). Identify prevalence of postoperative hypothyroidism and determine associations between thyroidectomy, postoperative hypothyroidism, and wound complications, including pharyngocutaneous fistula (PCF).

Methods: Retrospective chart review performed at 2 tertiary care centers of adult patients undergoing TL between 2013 and 2021.

Tracheoesophageal Puncture Outcomes at a Safety Net Hospital.

Tracheoesophageal puncture (TEP) is the gold standard for voice rehabilitation after total laryngectomy (TL). Retrospective analysis was performed of TEP outcomes in patients between 2013 and 2020 at a single tertiary hospital. TEP was performed primarily in 79%, secondarily in 6%, and not placed in 15% of 226 patients.

Feasibility and efficacy of home-based lymphedema exercises for head and neck cancer patients at a safety net hospital.

Purpose: Lymphedema therapy is an effective tool in mitigating head and neck lymphedema morbidity and long-term fibrosis. Studies have shown the efficacy of facility-based therapy; however, access can be limited by sociodemographic factors, including socioeconomic status and transportation. This study evaluates the feasibility and effectiveness of home-based lymphedema therapy in a socially vulnerable patient population.

Survival Outcomes of Total Laryngectomy: Evaluating the Intersection of Race and Social Determinants.

Objective: Analyze joint effects of race and social determinants on survival outcomes for patients undergoing total laryngectomy for advanced or recurrent laryngeal cancer at a tertiary care institute.

Methods: Retrospective chart review of adult patients undergoing total laryngectomy for laryngeal cancer at a tertiary care center from 2013 to 2020. Extracted data included demographics, pathological staging and features, treatment modalities, and outcomes such as recurrence, fistula formation, and 2- and 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS).

Microvascular reconstruction of midface osteoradionecrosis.

Background: Head and neck osteoradionecrosis (ORN) of the midface requiring free flap (FF) reconstruction is uncommon. This multi-institutional study was designed to review outcomes for this rare patient population.

Methods: Retrospective multi-institutional review of FF reconstruction for midface ORN (2005-2022; n = 54).

Paragangliomas Arising From the Laryngeal Paraganglia: Thyroid and Laryngeal Paragangliomas With Radiology-Pathology Correlation.

Paragangliomas are neuroendocrine tumors that arise from the embryonic neural crest cells of the extra-adrenal chromaffin and non-chromaffin cellular system. Paragangliomas arising from the laryngeal paraganglia, which occur in the thyroid and larynx, are a rare subset of paragangliomas compared to the more common locations of the carotid body, vagale, jugular, and tympanic paragangliomas. The preoperative diagnosis of both thyroid and laryngeal paragangliomas may pose a challenge due to cytological, pathological, and imaging non-specificity that overlaps with many other neoplasms.

Unplanned Return to Hospital After Same Day Oral Cavity Resection: A Dual Institution Study.

Objectives: Primary objective: describe rates of 30-days unplanned readmission following outpatient resection of oral cavity cancer. Secondary objective: evaluate for patient and treatment factors associated with readmission.

Methods: Retrospective, dual-institution cohort study of 2 tertiary care referral centers involving adult patients undergoing resection of oral cavity cancer with plans for same-day discharge.

Microvascular reconstruction of medication related osteonecrosis of the head and neck.

Background: Medication related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) requiring free flap (FF) reconstruction is uncommon with limited reported findings.

Methods: Multicenter, retrospective case series of 49 consecutive adult patients presenting with advanced MRONJ requiring FF reconstruction from 2010 to 2022. Perioperative complications and outcomes were analyzed.

Otolaryngology Applicant Perspectives on In-person and Virtual Residency Interviews.

Objective: The objective of this study was to understand applicant perspectives on in-person and virtual otolaryngology residency interviews.

Study Design: Survey study.

Setting: Otolaryngology residency applicants who were interviewed during 2022-2023.

Policy education in a research-focused doctoral nursing program: Power as knowing participation in change.

Nurses have moral obligations incurred by membership in the profession to participate knowingly in health policy advocacy. Many barriers have historically hindered nurses from realizing their potential to advance health policy. The contemporary political context sets additional challenges to policy work due to polarization and conflict.

Guideline-compliant adjuvant chemotherapy for resected high risk oral cavity cancer: Homefield advantage.

Purpose: Factors that are associated with failure to receive guideline-compliant adjuvant chemotherapy after resection of high-risk oral cavity cancer are understudied. Here, we performed a retrospective cohort study of surgically treated patients with oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma to determine rates of guideline-compliant adjuvant chemotherapy and to examine patient factors associated with receiving guideline-compliant chemotherapy.

Study Design: Retrospective cohort.

Survey of Laboratory Medicine's national response to the HSE cyberattack in the Republic of Ireland.

Background: On Friday 14 May 2021, the Health Service Executive (HSE) was subjected to a serious cyberattack on their information technology (IT) infrastructure. Healthcare workers lost access to HSE-provided clinical and non-clinical IT systems, including laboratory systems.

Aim: The aim of this national survey was to capture Laboratory Medicine's response across the Republic of Ireland during the HSE cyberattack.

Outcomes of Head and Neck Free Tissue Transfer in Renal Failure Patients.

Objective: To assess if there is increased risk of free flap failure in renal failure patients undergoing head and neck reconstruction. We seek to primarily assess free flap outcomes based on stages of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and secondarily determine increased risk for postoperative complications.

Methods: Retrospective chart review was performed at five tertiary care centers.

Perioperative Assessment/Prehabilitation in Larynx Cancer.

Head and neck cancer (HNC) survivorship is increasing, and with it, a shift in treatment practices has occurred. Radical surgical resections for the treatment of HNC have decreased, and organ preservation treatments have increased. Although effective in treating HNC, chemoradiation therapy toxicities can be detrimental to a patient's overall health, nutrition status, and quality of life (QOL).

Longitudinal Analysis of the Intestinal Microbiota among a Cohort of Children in Rural and Urban Areas of Pakistan.

The profile of the intestinal microbiota is known to be altered in malnourished young children in low- and middle-income countries. However, there are limited studies longitudinally evaluating the intestinal microbiota in malnourished young children in resource-limited settings over the first two years of life. In this longitudinal pilot study, we determined the effect of age, residential location, and intervention on the composition, relative abundance, and diversity of the intestinal microbiota in a representative sample of children under 24 months of age with no diarrhea in the preceding 72 h in the urban and rural areas of Sindh, Pakistan nested within a cluster-randomized trial evaluating the effect of zinc and micronutrients on growth and morbidity (ClinicalTrials.

Differential Response to the Course of Cryptosporidium parvum Infection and Its Impact on Epithelial Integrity in Differentiated versus Undifferentiated Human Intestinal Enteroids.

is a leading cause of diarrhea and death in young children and untreated AIDS patients and causes waterborne outbreaks. Pathogenic mechanisms underlying diarrhea and intestinal dysfunction are poorly understood. We previously developed stem-cell derived human intestinal enteroid (HIE) models for Cryptosporidium parvum which we used in this study to investigate the course of infection and its effect on intestinal epithelial integrity.

Maxillectomy Reconstruction Revision Using Virtual Surgical Planning and Intraoperative Navigation.

Secondary revision of osseous flap reconstructions of the maxilla can enhance facial symmetry, but can be challenging due to the absence of normal anatomy and landmarks. We report four cases of maxillectomy reconstruction with scapula tip flap employing a novel combined approach with preoperative virtual surgical planning (VSP) and intraoperative navigation (ION) for secondary revision. VSP was employed to superimpose mirrored normal anatomy upon the reconstructed anatomy, and ION used for real-time intraoperative anatomical mapping.

Survey of laboratory medicine's national response to the Covid-19 pandemic in the Republic of Ireland.

Background: The global SARS-CoV-2 pandemic placed Irish Laboratory Medicine services under sustained and massive strain. Rapid reconfiguration was required to introduce new assays at high capacity for diagnosis and monitoring of COVID-19, while maintaining existing services.

Aim: The aim of this national survey was to capture Laboratory Medicine's response across the Republic of Ireland during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Making explicit the development of PhD-prepared nurses to steward the discipline.

Leadership is a core curricular element of PhD programs in nursing. Our PhD faculty began a dialogue about being a leader, a steward of the discipline. We asked ourselves: (a) What expertise do PhD prepared nurse needs to begin to steward the discipline? (b) How do faculty engage PhD nursing students to assume responsibility for stewarding the discipline? Lastly, (c) How do we work with PhD nursing students to create their vision for how their work contributes to stewarding the discipline, from doctoral coursework throughout their career? We support the need for PhD graduates to have the skills to generate knowledge, conserve that which is important, and transform by disseminating new knowledge to a broad audience.

Ridinilazole, a narrow spectrum antibiotic for treatment of infection, enhances preservation of microbiota-dependent bile acids.

Antibiotic treatment is a standard therapy for infection, but dysbiosis of the gut microbiota due to antibiotic exposure is also a major risk factor for the disease. Following an initial episode of infection, a relentless cycle of recurrence can occur, where persistent treatment-related dysbiosis predisposes the patient to subsequent relapse. This study uses a longitudinal study design to compare the effects of a narrow-spectrum (ridinilazole) or broad-spectrum antibiotic (vancomycin) on intestinal bile acid profiles and their associations with gut bacteria over the course of infection treatment.

Parabacteroides distasonis attenuates tumorigenesis, modulates inflammatory markers and promotes intestinal barrier integrity in azoxymethane-treated A/J mice.

Imbalance of the gut microbial community promotes inflammation and colorectal cancer (CRC). Previously, we demonstrated that freeze-dried Parabacteroides distasonis (Pd) suppressed obesity-driven colorectal tumorigenesis in mice. Here, we investigated if Pd could suppress the development of colon tumors in mice independent of obesity.

Monitoring and capturing patient identification errors in laboratory medicine.

Background: Specimen labelling and patient identification are significant contributors to the rate of error in the preanalytical phase of laboratory medicine. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and nature of preanalytical quality monitoring practices for patient identification and specimen labelling errors in Irish clinical laboratories.

Methods: A survey was developed by the Clinical Biochemistry Unit, Trinity College Dublin and the Irish External Quality Assessment Scheme (IEQAS), with the intention of gathering key information from each laboratory.

Enhanced preservation of the human intestinal microbiota by ridinilazole, a novel Clostridium difficile-targeting antibacterial, compared to vancomycin.

Ridinilazole, a novel targeted antibacterial being developed for the treatment of C. difficile infection (CDI) and prevention of recurrence, was shown in a recent Phase 2 study to be superior to vancomycin with regard to the primary efficacy measure, sustained clinical response (SCR), with the superiority being driven primarily by marked reductions in the rates of CDI recurrence within 30 days. Tolerability of ridinilazole was comparable to that of vancomycin.