Competence of Senior Otolaryngology Residents with the Bedside Head Impulse Test-Has There Been Improvement After 5 Years of Competency By Design?

Background: The bedside head impulse test (bHIT) is a clinical method of assessing the vestibulo-ocular reflex. It is a critical component of the bedside assessment of dizzy patients and helps differentiate acute stroke from vestibular neuritis. A previous study on senior Otolaryngology residents showed poor competence in performing and interpreting the bHIT and called for specific evaluations in the Competency By Design (CBD) curriculum to remedy this.

Characteristics of persistent postural perceptual dizziness patients in a multidisciplinary dizziness clinic.

Background: Persistent Postural Perceptual Dizziness (PPPD) is a newly defined condition which was added to the International Classification of Vestibular Disorders in 2017. Little is known about its impact on patients.

Objective: The goal of this study was to analyze the symptomology, epidemiology and impact of PPPD on patients.

Hearing loss prevalence and hearing health among school-aged children in the Canadian Arctic.

Objective: Hearing loss is an important health concern in Canada's Arctic. The objective of this research was to provide information on the prevalence of childhood hearing loss in Nunavut.

Design: This cross-sectional study involved comprehensive audiologic assessments of school-aged children in six communities to determine overall and community-specific prevalence of hearing loss.

Correction to: HPV DNA in saliva from patients with SCC of the head and neck is specific for p16-positive oropharyngeal tumours.

Following publication of the original article [1], the authors reported an error in one of the author names. In this Correction the incorrect and correct author names are listed.

Diagnosing subtle palatal anomalies: Validation of video-analysis and assessment protocol for diagnosing occult submucous cleft palate.

Introduction: Submucous cleft palate (SMCP) classically involves bifid uvula, zona pellucida, and notched hard palate. However, patients may present with more subtle anatomic abnormalities. The ability to detect these abnormalities is important for surgeons managing velopharyngeal dysfunction (VPD) or considering adenoidectomy.

HPV DNA in saliva from patients with SCC of the head and neck is specific for p16-positive oropharyngeal tumours.

Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV) is an important cause of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), especially in young people. These tumours overexpress p16 and respond well to treatment. The rapid detection of HPV in patients with HNSCC may expedite treatment when p16 status is not immediately available.

Tablet Audiometry in Canada's North: A Portable and Efficient Method for Hearing Screening.

Background: Access to hearing health care is limited in many parts of the world, creating a lack of prompt diagnosis, which further complicates treatment. The use of portable audiometry for hearing loss testing can improve access to diagnostics in marginalized populations. Our study objectives were twofold: (1) to determine the prevalence of hearing loss in children aged 4 to 11 years in Iqaluit, Nunavut, and (2) to test and demonstrate the use of our tablet audiometer as a portable hearing-testing device in a remote location.

Atypical presentation of sinonasal cellular schwannoma: a nonsolitary mass with osseous, orbital, and intracranial invasion.

Objective Sinonasal cellular schwannoma represents < 4% of head and neck schwannomas. These benign tumors are typically confined to the nasal cavity or ethmoid sinus. We describe an atypical case of sinonasal cellular schwannoma with diffuse paranasal sinus involvement and both intraorbital and intracranial extension.

Head and neck cancer in Canada: trends 1992 to 2007.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to investigate the changes in the epidemiology (incidence, age at diagnosis, and survival) of head and neck cancers (HNCs) in Canada in the past decade.

Study Design: Analysis of a national cancer data registry.

Setting: All Canadian hospital institutions treating head and neck cancer.

Socio-economic status and head and neck cancer incidence in Canada: a case-control study.

In an earlier study we identified an increased incidence of head and neck cancer (HNC) in individuals with lower socio-economic status (SES) in the United States. The objective of this study was to determine if lower SES is associated with a similar increase in the incidence of HNC in Canadian patients. We obtained data on SES (income, education and immigration status), demographic characteristics, frequency of dental visits and smoking behavior for adult patients residing in the Eastern Ontario region who were referred to the Ottawa Regional Cancer Centre with HNC.

Reducing the flavour of oral lidocaine: randomized controlled trial assessing the efficacy of mint-flavoured mouthwash.

Objective: To test the hypothesis that using an alcohol-based, mint-flavoured oral mouthwash prior to applying oral lidocaine spray will result in an improvement in the unpleasant taste of the lidocaine.

Design: A double-blind, randomized, controlled trial using a crossover design.

Setting: A tertiary care hospital.