Pain after Licorice or Sugar-Water Gargling in Patients Recovering from Oropharyngeal Surgery-A Randomized, Double-Blind Trial.

Background: Glycyrrhiza glabrata (licorice) is used in traditional medicine and herbal remedies and reduces sore throats consequent to intubation, but whether it is protective for more intense pain after oropharyngeal surgery remains unclear. We thus tested the joint hypothesis that gargling with licorice, which has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, reduces postoperative pain and morphine consumption.

Methods: We enrolled patients having elective oropharyngeal surgery.

The olfactory diary: Tracking awareness and consciousness of the sense of smell throughout the day.

Objectives: The aim of the present study was to follow the daily course of patients with olfactory dysfunction and healthy controls and to assess (i) how many times a day, (ii) at which time, and (iii) in which aspect of daily life participants are conscious about their sense of smell.

Methods: In this longitudinal study, 49 patients with smell loss and 30 healthy participants were enrolled. Olfactory function was assessed using the Sniffin' Sticks.

Eating behavior in patients with smell loss.

Background: The objective of this study was to determine how clinical characteristics and validated quality of life (QoL)-measures are associated with eating behavior in patients with olfactory dysfunction (OD).

Methods: For this cross-sectional study, 150 OD patients of different causes were retrospectively recruited. Olfactory function was measured using the Sniffin' Sticks (TDI), while olfactory-related QoL was evaluated with the Questionnaire of OD negative and positive statements (QOD-NS and QOD-PS).

Peripheral eosinophil count and eosinophil-to-lymphocyte ratio are associated with revision sinus surgery.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to assess whether hematological indices of the peripheral blood are associated with revision surgery in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) undergoing endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS).

Methods: This retrospective, cross-sectional, single-center study included 541 CRS patients that underwent ESS. Demographics and laboratory parameters were retrieved, and group comparisons were performed.

Pediatric olfactory home testing using regular household items: A cross-over validation study.

Objective: To develop an olfactory test that can be conducted by an untrained person using common household items and to introduce a German version of the Chemosensory Pleasure Scale for Children (CPS-C(de)).

Methodology: This olfactory home test was developed in phases including evaluation of odors for suitability in a home setting. Parents of 50 children (ages 6-17) were then equipped with instruction manuals and participants were tested twice in a cross-over design.

Dedicated Olfaction and Taste Items do not Improve Psychometric Performance of the SNOT-22.

Objective: Previous work has shown the chemosensory dysfunction item of the 22-item Sinonasal Outcome Test (SNOT-22) that assesses problems with "taste/smell" has poor psychometric performance compared with other items on the SNOT-22, which we have hypothesized is due to the simultaneous assessment of two different senses. Our aim was to determine whether distinct smell and taste items in the SNOT-22 would improve psychometric performance.

Methods: One hundred and eighty-one CRS patients were recruited and completed the SNOT-22.

Depression Symptoms and Olfactory-related Quality of Life.

Objectives: Patients with olfactory dysfunction (OD) frequently report symptoms of depression. The objective of this study was to determine how clinical characteristics and olfactory-related quality of life (QoL) measures associate with the likelihood for major depressive disorders (MDDs).

Methods: A total of 192 OD patients were included.

Factors Associated with Revision Sinus Surgery in Patients with Chronic Rhinosinusitis.

Endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) is performed in patients diagnosed with Chronic Rhinosinusitis (CRS) refractory to primary medical therapy to achieve adequate disease control. This study aimed to assess which factors and phenotypes of CRS are associated with revision surgery in patients undergoing ESS. This retrospective, single-center study included 667 patients undergoing ESS between 2012 and 2015.

Long-lasting olfactory dysfunction in COVID-19 patients.

Objectives: Olfactory dysfunction (OD) is a common symptom of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Although many patients have been reported to regain olfactory function within the first month, long-term observation reports vary. Therefore, we aimed to assess the course of chemosensory function in patients diagnosed with COVID-19 within 3-15 months after the infection.

Olfactory-related Quality of Life Adjustments in Smell Loss during the Coronavirus-19 Pandemic.

Background: Previous studies provided the first evidence that the importance of olfaction decreases with the duration of olfactory dysfunction (OD).

Objective: To evaluate differences in olfactory-related quality of life (QoL) between patients with new-onset and persistent smell loss (>4 weeks) during the coronavirus-19 (COVID-19) pandemic and patients with persistent postinfectious OD (PIOD) that were recruited before the pandemic.

Methods: This was a retrospective study that included 149 patients with self-reported OD.

Bitter Taste Disrupts Spatial Discrimination of Piperine-Evoked Burning Sensations: A Pilot Study.

This study aimed to investigate the perceptual similarity between piperine-induced burning sensations and bitter taste using piperine-impregnated taste strips (PTS). This pilot study included 42 healthy participants. PTS of six ascending concentrations (1 mg, 5 mg, 10 mg, 15 mg, 20 mg, and 25 mg piperine/dL 96% ethanol) were presented at the anterior tongue, and participants rated perceived intensity and duration.

Exploring possibilities for shortening the 22-item Sino-Nasal Outcome Test (SNOT-22) using item response theory.

Background: Even with a high-quality instrument, such as the 22-item Sino-Nasal Outcome Test (SNOT-22), patients can be overwhelmed by repeated completion of questionnaires, leading to nonadherence and reduced data quality. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the SNOT-22 could be made more concise without losing the valuable information that it provides.

Methods: A modern psychometric approach, item response theory (IRT), was used on a sample of 800 patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS).

A novel electrosurgical divider: performance in a self-controlled tonsillectomy study.

Purpose: Tonsillectomies are among the most common surgeries in otorhinolaryngology. A novel electrosurgical temperature-controlled instrument (device) promises rapid tonsillectomies and might reduce postoperative pain, but comparative studies to assess performance are warranted.

Methods: This randomized self-controlled clinical trial was conducted from October 2019 to October 2020 at the Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery of the Medical University of Vienna.

Biannual Differences in Interest Peaks for Web Inquiries Into Ear Pain and Ear Drops: Infodemiology Study.

Background: The data retrieved with the online search engine, Google Trends, can summarize internet inquiries into specified search terms. This engine may be used for analyzing inquiry peaks for different medical conditions and symptoms.

Objective: The aim of this study was to analyze World Wide Web interest peaks for "ear pain," "ear infection," and "ear drops.

Item Response Theory for Psychometric Properties of the SNOT-22 (22-Item Sinonasal Outcome Test).

Objective: The SNOT-22 (22-item Sinonasal Outcome Test) is a high-quality outcome measure that assesses chronic rhinosinusitis-specific quality of life. The aim of this study was to gain greater insight into the information provided by the SNOT-22 by determining its item-based psychometric properties.

Study Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Potential association of the prognostic index and survival in patients with p16-positive oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

Background: The aim was to assess the prognostic value of the newly proposed prognostic index (PI) in patients with p16-positive oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

Methods: Patients treated with primary surgery from 2012 to 2019 with available preoperative (0-2 days) values of C‑reactive protein and white blood cell counts needed for calculation of the PI, were included. Main outcome measures were overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS).

Portable HEPA Purifiers to Eliminate Airborne SARS-CoV-2: A Systematic Review.

Objective: Current epidemiologic predictions of COVID-19 suggest that SARS-CoV-2 mitigation strategies must be implemented long-term. In-office aerosol-generating procedures pose a risk to staff and patients while necessitating examination room shutdown to allow aerosol decontamination by indwelling ventilation. This review summarizes the current state of knowledge on portable high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) purifiers' effectiveness in eliminating airborne SARS-CoV-2 from indoor environments.

Retronasal olfactory testing in early diagnosed and suspected COVID-19 patients: a 7-week follow-up study.

Objectives: Olfactory dysfunction (OD) constitutes a major symptom in Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Yet, most data on smell loss rely on the evaluation of orthonasal olfactory performance. Therefore, we aimed to assess retronasal olfactory function (ROF) over a period of several weeks in proven and suspected COVID-19 patients.

Annual trends in Google searches provides insights related to rhinosinusitis exacerbations.

Purpose: Temporal trends of disease-specific internet searches may provide novel insights into seasonal dynamics of disease burden and, by extension, disease pathophysiology. The aim of this study was to define the temporal trends in rhinosinusitis-specific internet searches.

Methods: This was a cross sectional analysis of search volume for predefined search terms.

Association between olfactory function and quality of life in patients with olfactory disorders: a multicenter study in over 760 participants.

Background: This cross-sectional, multi-centric study aimed to investigate the differences in quality of life among patients with olfactory dysfunction (OD) of different origin, and to identify factors associated with olfactory-related quality of life (QOL).

Methods: Seven hundred sixty-three adults were recruited from 8 Smell & Taste clinics in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. Olfactory-related QOL was assessed by the Questionnaire of Olfactory Disorders (QOD).

A new nomogram to predict the need for tracheostomy in burned patients.

Purpose: To evaluate the impact of tracheostomy on complications, dysphagia and outcome in second and third degree burned patients.

Methods: Inpatient mortality, dysphagia, severity of burn injury (ABSI, TBSA) and complications in tracheotomized burn patients were compared to (I) non-tracheotomized burn patients and (II) matched tracheotomized non-burn patients.

Results: 134 (30.