Effect of Hearing Intervention Versus Health Education Control on Fatigue: A Secondary Analysis of the ACHIEVE Study.

Background: Fatigue is a common complaint among older adults with hearing loss. The impact of addressing hearing loss on fatigue symptoms has not been studied in a randomized controlled trial. In a secondary analysis of the Aging and Cognitive Health Evaluation in Elders (ACHIEVE) study, we investigated the effect of hearing intervention versus health education control on 3-year change in fatigue in community-dwelling older adults with hearing loss.

Use of piezoelectric instrumentation in craniofacial surgery.

Purpose Of Review: The use of piezoelectric instrumentation is increasingly recognized as an alternative to traditional bone-cutting techniques across a wide array of surgeries. Here, we provide an overview of the technique, including device principles, benefits, and drawbacks. We also review its use in craniofacial surgery.

Reasons for Long-term Opioid Prescriptions After Guideline-directed Opioid Prescribing and Excess Opioid Pill Disposal.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the frequency and reasons for long-term opioid prescriptions (rxs) after surgery in the setting of guideline-directed prescribing and a high rate of excess opioid disposal.

Background: Although previous studies have demonstrated that 5% to 10% of opioid-naïve patients prescribed opioids after surgery will receive long-term (3-12 months after surgery) opioid rxs, little is known about the reasons why long-term opioids are prescribed.

Methods: We studied 221 opioid-naïve surgical patients enrolled in a previously reported prospective clinical trial which used a patient-centric guideline for discharge opioid prescribing and achieved a high rate of excess opioid disposal.

School Hearing Screening With a Portable, Tablet-Based, Noise-Attenuating Audiometric Headset in Rural Nicaragua.

Objective: To investigate the utility and effectiveness of a noise-attenuating, tablet-based mobile health system combined with asynchronous telehealth evaluations for screening rural Nicaraguan schoolchildren for hearing loss.

Study Design: Prospective population-based survey.

Setting: Rural Nicaraguan communities.

Community health workers and mHealth systems for hearing screening in rural Nicaraguan schoolchildren.

Background: We aimed to investigate the effectiveness of using minimally trained community health workers (CHW) to screen schoolchildren in rural Nicaragua for hearing loss using a tablet-based audiometric system integrated with asynchronous telehealth evaluations and mobile health (mHealth) appointment reminders.

Methods: A population-based survey was conducted using community health workers (CHWs) to perform tablet-based audiometry, asynchronous telehealth evaluations, and mHealth reminders to screen 3398 school children (7-9 years of age) in 92 rural Nicaraguan communities. The accuracy of screening, test duration, testing efficiency, telehealth data validity, and compliance with recommended clinic visits were analyzed.

Test-Retest repeatability of automated threshold audiometry in Nicaraguan schoolchildren.

Objective: Automated threshold audiometry (ATA) could increase access to paediatric hearing assessment in low- and middle-income countries, but few studies have evaluated test-retest repeatability of ATA in children. This study aims to analyse test-retest repeatability of ATA and to identify factors that affect the reliability of this method.

Design: ATA was performed twice in a cohort of Nicaraguan schoolchildren.

Trajectory of Recovery in PROMIS Global Physical Health After Surgical Fracture Fixation.

Introduction: Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) provide data on the effect of conditions and treatments on patients' lives without third party interpretation. Mounting evidence suggests that PROs may be useful in elective procedure decision making, but its utility in trauma remains unclear. Longitudinally collected PROs may prove effective in identifying patients recovering below the norm.

Comparison of Social Media Utilization Among Vascular Surgeons, Interventional Cardiologists, and Interventional Radiologists at Academic Training Institutions.

Background: Social media platforms, especially Twitter, are increasingly utilized across medical practice, education, and research. However, little is known about differences in social media use among physicians of varying specialties and its impact on recruitment of trainees. Our objective was to describe differences in social media use among vascular interventional proceduralists at academic training institutions.

When is surgical resection alone appropriate treatment for pediatric nodular lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin lymphoma?

The surgeon's role in the management of lymphoma is typically limited to performing biopsies for diagnosis. Most patients with lymphoma are treated with chemotherapy and/or radiation, but in rare cases, lymphoma can be primarily treated with surgery. We present a case of nodular lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin lymphoma in a 4-year-old child with cervical adenopathy and discuss initial treatment with surgery alone.

Preoperative Criteria Predict Operative Time Variability Within Tympanoplasty Procedures.

Objective: To identify preoperative patient and surgical parameters that predict operative time variability within tympanoplasty current procedural terminology (CPT) codes.

Study Design: Retrospective.

Setting: Tertiary referral center.

Image-guided surgery in otolaryngology: A review of current applications and future directions in head and neck surgery.

Image-guided surgery (IGS) has become a widely adopted technology in otolaryngology. Since its introduction nearly three decades ago, IGS technology has developed rapidly and improved real-time intraoperative visualization for a diverse array of clinical indications. As usability, accessibility, and clinical experiences with IGS increase, its potential applications as an adjunct in many surgical procedures continue to expand.

Guidelines for Patient-CenteredOpioid Prescribing and Optimal FDA-Compliant Disposal of Excess Pills after Inpatient Operation: Prospective Clinical Trial.

Background: To optimize responsible opioid prescribing after inpatient operation, we implemented a clinical trial with the following objectives: prospectively validate patient-centered opioid prescription guidelines and increase the FDA-compliant disposal rate of leftover opioid pills to higher than currently reported rates of 20% to 30%.

Study Design: We prospectively enrolled 229 patients admitted for 48 hours or longer after elective general, colorectal, urologic, gynecologic, or thoracic operation. At discharge, patients received a prescription for both nonopioid analgesics and opioids based on their opioid usage the day before discharge: if 0 oral morphine milligram equivalents (MME) were used, then five 5-mg oxycodone pill-equivalents were prescribed; if 1 to 29 MME were used, then fifteen 5-mg oxycodone pill-equivalents were prescribed; if 30 or more MME were used, then thirty 5-mg oxycodone pill-equivalents were prescribed.

Evaluating the Effectiveness of a Web-Based Program (POP4Teens) to Prevent Prescription Opioid Misuse Among Adolescents: Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Prescription opioid (PO) use is common among adolescents in the United States. Despite recent declines from unprecedented peaks in adolescent PO use (eg, in 2012-2013), there is seemingly paradoxical evidence that PO-related consequences (eg, opioid use disorder and overdoses) are increasing. These trends and their possible consequences emphasize the importance of prevention efforts targeting PO misuse.

Outcomes of a novel alloplastic technique for external auditory canal repair in tympanomastoidectomy.

Objective: To analyze surgical outcomes of a novel alloplastic reconstruction technique for partial external auditory canal (EAC) defects in tympanomastoidectomy.

Methods: Retrospective study of 51 patients with cholesteatoma who underwent repair of partial EAC defects during tympanomastoidectomy at a tertiary referral center over 8 years. Nineteen patients were treated with a novel alloplastic graft technique using hydroxyapatite cement and bone pâté for EAC repair.

Telemedicine for Surgical Consultations - Pandemic Response or Here to Stay?: A Report of Public Perceptions.

Objective: This study aims to determine the public's perception of telemedicine surgical consultations, during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.

Summary Background Data: With rapid expansion and uptake of telemedicine during the pandemic, many have posited that virtual visits will endure even as in-person visits are reinstated. The public's perception of telemedicine for an initial surgical consultation has not been previously studied.

Online Ratings for Vascular Interventional Proceduralists Vary by Physician Specialty.

Background: Multiple specialties offer vascular interventional care, creating potential competition for referrals and procedures. At the same time, patient/consumer ratings have become more impactful for physicians who perform vascular procedures. We hypothesized that there are differences in online ratings based on specialty.

Translating coding lists in administrative claims-based research for cardiovascular procedures.

Background: To effectively use administrative claims for healthcare research, clinical events must be inferred from coding data according to validated algorithms. In October 2015, the United States transitioned from the International Classification of Diseases Ninth Revision (ICD-9) to the Tenth Revision (ICD-10). We describe our method to derive new ICD-10 codes for outcomes after vascular procedures from our prior, validated ICD-9 codes.

Barriers to naloxone use and acceptance among opioid users, first responders, and emergency department providers in New Hampshire, USA.

Background: The United States is in the midst of a devastating opioid crisis, and the state of New Hampshire (NH) has been disproportionately impacted. Naloxone is an opioid overdose reversal medication that is critical for saving lives. This study was conducted to understand emergency responders' and opioid users' experiences with, and opinions about, naloxone use and distribution in NH.

"You can see those concentric rings going out": Emergency personnel's experiences treating overdose and perspectives on policy-level responses to the opioid crisis in New Hampshire.

Background: In parallel to a substantial increase in opioid overdose deaths in New Hampshire (NH), emergency personnel experienced an increase in opioid-related encounters. To inform public health responses to this crisis, insights into the experiences and perspectives of those emergency personnel who treat opioid-related overdoses are warranted.

Aims: Systematically examine emergency personnel's experiences treating opioid overdoses and obtain their perspectives on policy-level responses to the opioid crisis in NH.

Web-Based Prescription Opioid Abuse Prevention for Adolescents: Program Development and Formative Evaluation.

Background: The unprecedented number of youths engaged in nonmedical use of prescription opioids (POs), as well as the myriad negative consequences of such misuse, emphasizes the importance of prevention efforts targeting this public health crisis. Although there are several science-based, interactive drug abuse prevention programs focused on preventing the use of nonprescription drugs in youths, to our knowledge, there are no science-based interactive programs that focus on the prevention of PO abuse among adolescents.

Objective: The aim of this study was to develop and conduct a formative evaluation of a science-based interactive Web-based program focused on the prevention of PO abuse among adolescents aged 12 to 17 years (Pop4Teens).