Publications by authors named "Tonya S King"

Objective: To compare patient outcomes across body mass index (BMI) subgroups in the setting of recent tracheotomy.

Methods: This retrospective chart review included patients over 18 years old who underwent tracheotomy placement between February 2017 and March 2020. Patients were divided into five groups based on BMI: underweight, normal weight, overweight, obese, and morbidly obese.

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Background: This study evaluates the utility of PTeye autofluorescence (AF) technology in primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) surgery.

Methods: A retrospective review analyzed 232 patients undergoing first-time parathyroid surgery between September 2021 and 2023. Of these, 92 underwent surgery consecutively without PTeye assistance, then 140 underwent PTeye-guided surgery consecutively.

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  • The study is a retrospective chart review focusing on facial trauma among the Amish population, aiming to identify demographic and clinical risk factors from 2013 to 2023.
  • Analysis revealed that of the 87 Amish patients, the median age was 9 years, with a majority being male, and most injuries occurring on roads, farms, or at home, primarily caused by buggies, falls, and animals.
  • Results showed high incidence of facial fractures, especially from buggy injuries, indicating a need for enhanced injury prevention efforts, particularly targeting buggy-related incidents.
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  • Facial fractures are rarer in kids compared to adults but can cause major long-term issues, especially with growth and function; mandibular fractures are the most common type for both age groups.
  • A study analyzed data from a national trauma database to compare how these fractures were treated and their outcomes in children versus adults, looking at various factors like treatment methods and complications.
  • Findings revealed that pediatric patients received care more quickly and were often transferred to trauma centers, while both groups had similar rates of antibiotic use and low complication rates; more research is needed to create specific treatment guidelines for kids.
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Purpose: Routine imaging of soft tissue infection is not recommended and represents a potential area of CT overuse. The utility of CT in patients with superficial soft tissue infection of the extremities is unknown. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the utilization and clinical impact of CT ordered in the setting of extremity cellulitis.

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  • The study aimed to assess medical students' views on the transition to pass/fail scoring for the USMLE Step 1 exam and its impact on anxiety, especially regarding applications to competitive specialties.
  • A survey was conducted among Penn State College of Medicine students, revealing that while most (73.2%) supported the pass/fail system, anxiety about Step 2 scores increased, particularly among those applying to competitive specialties.
  • The results indicated a notable difference in perceived matching chances for competitive versus non-competitive specialties, with significant implications for how students view key components of residency applications, such as letters of recommendation.
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Purpose: Papillary thyroid carcinoma detection has increased dramatically in the United States. However, the indolent nature of papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (mPTC) has led the American Thyroid Association (ATA) to advocate for more conservative management. The 2015 ATA recommendations advocated for observation or lobectomy for mPTC.

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  • - This study explores the rates of hypocalcemia (low calcium levels) in patients who underwent total laryngectomy (TL), with comparisons between those who also had thyroid surgery and those who did not.
  • - Researchers analyzed data from 870 patients who had TL alone, 158 who had a hemithyroidectomy, and 123 who had a total thyroidectomy, finding significantly higher rates of hypocalcemia and low parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels in those who had total thyroidectomy.
  • - The findings suggest that patients receiving total thyroidectomy alongside TL have a heightened risk of hypocalcemia, indicating a need for careful monitoring of PTH levels and possibly enhanced supplemental treatments after surgery.
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  • - The study aims to assess tobacco usage documentation, including electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), among otolaryngology patients to help reduce head and neck cancer incidence and improve recovery outcomes.
  • - Analyzing data from over 2,100 adult patients, the research found that 56.7% were never smokers, 28.9% were former smokers, and 14.4% were current smokers, with a significant majority of current users relying on cigarettes.
  • - Results highlight that certain demographics, such as males, unmarried individuals, uninsured patients, and those with head and neck cancers, showed higher rates of tobacco use, suggesting a need for better documentation and intervention strategies in clinical settings.
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Importance: The symptoms of primary hyperparathyroidism are often subtle, such as fatigue, mood changes, and sleep disturbances. After parathyroidectomy, patients often report improvement in sleep and mood; however, objective data supporting these improvements is lacking.

Objective: This prospective study uses standard measures to objectively and subjectively assess sleep in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism before and after parathyroidectomy.

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  • The study aimed to assess how common inadequate health literacy is among otolaryngology patients and explore its links to various patient factors.
  • Conducted at a tertiary academic medical center, it involved adult patients who completed a health literacy questionnaire, with data collected on demographics and insurance.
  • Results showed 12% had inadequate health literacy, primarily influenced by sex and race, indicating a need for targeted interventions to enhance care delivery in this field.
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Background: A multicenter clinical trial in patients with mild persistent asthma indicated that response to inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) is limited to those with sputum eosinophilia. However, testing for sputum eosinophilia is impractical in most clinical settings.

Objective: We examined associations between sputum eosinophilia and type 2 inflammatory biomarkers in untreated mild persistent asthma.

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Background: Differences in treatment outcomes between community or academic centers are incompletely understood.

Methods: Retrospective review of head and neck cancer patients between 2010 and 2020 in a rural health region. Kaplan-Meier curves and log-rank tests were used to evaluate survival outcomes, along with bivariate and multivariable Cox proportional hazards models.

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Background: This study aimed to mimic the changes from Charcot neuropathic arthropathy in humans by examining the effects of exposing diet-induced obese (DIO) mice to neurotrauma through a regimented running protocol.

Methods: Forty-eight male wild-type C57BL/6J mice were obtained at age 6 weeks and separated into 2 groups for diet assignment. After a 1-week acclimation period, half of the mice consumed a high-fat diet (60% fat by kcal) ad libitum to facilitate neuropathic diet-induced obesity whereas the other half were control mice and consumed an age-matched standard low-fat control diet (10% fat by kcal).

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Objective: Quality of life (QOL) is an important consideration in head and neck cancer (HNC) due to lasting disease and treatment-related toxicities. We performed a comprehensive review of predictors of QOL in this population, including distance to care.

Study Design: Retrospective cohort study from 2017 to 2022.

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Objectives: Mammary analog secretory carcinoma (MASC) is a classification of salivary gland tumors, recently included within the term secretory carcinoma. Previous descriptions of this diagnosis have largely consisted of case reports and case series with few studies investigating its clinical characteristics as compared to non-MASC tumors. Our objective was to use a large patient database to compare the clinical characteristics of mammary analog secretory carcinoma vs.

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 Endoscopic endonasal anterior skull base surgery has expanding use in the pediatric population, but the anatomy of pediatric patients can lead to limitations. This study aims to characterize the important anatomical implications of the pediatric skull base using computed tomography (CT) scans.  This study is designed as retrospective analysis.

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  • Voice therapy helps patients enhance their vocal skills for better communication, traditionally offered in clinics by speech-language pathologists (SLPs); during COVID-19, telehealth options were introduced.
  • A study reviewed the outcomes of 101 patients across different therapy formats (clinic, telehealth, mixed) by analyzing scores on various voice assessment tools before and after therapy.
  • Results showed no significant differences in voice improvement across different formats, indicating that telehealth is an effective and accessible option for voice therapy.
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Background: Controversies exist regarding the role of perioperative antibiotic use in pediatric craniomaxillofacial fracture repair.

Purpose: This study aims to identify factors associated with antibiotic prescribing patterns and measures the association between antibiotic exposure and postoperative infections.

Study Design, Setting, Sample: In this retrospective cohort study, TriNetX, a research database, was used to gather data on patients under 18 years of age who underwent repair of facial fractures.

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Background: A prior study reported that over half of patients with HNSCC initiated PORT after 6 weeks from surgery during 2006-2014. In 2022, the CoC released a quality metric for patients to initiate PORT within 6 weeks. This study provides an update on time to PORT in recent years.

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Background: Obtunded pediatric patients are often placed in cervical collars (c-collars) to protect their cervical spine (c-spine) while injury is being ruled out, even without a known traumatic injury. The goal of this study was to determine the necessity of c-collars in this population by determining the rate of c-spine injury among patients with suspected non-traumatic mechanisms of loss of consciousness.

Methods: A single institution, ten-year retrospective chart review was conducted including all obtunded patients admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit without a known traumatic event.

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Background The current study examines the financial charges associated with primary anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR), specifically the contribution of graft choice, graft type, and concomitant meniscus surgery, in the outpatient hospital setting. Methods A retrospective financial billing review was performed on patients who underwent ACLR at a single academic medical center from January to December 2019. Age, BMI, insurance, length of operation, regional block, implants, meniscus surgery, graft type, and graft choice were extracted from hospital electronic patient records.

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Objective: Identify risk factors and perioperative morbidity for pediatric patients undergoing septoplasty.

Methods: The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program Pediatric (NSQIP-P) database was retrospectively queried to identify patients who underwent septoplasty (CPT 30520) for a diagnosis of deviated nasal septum (ICD J34.2) from 2018 to 2019.

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Studies have suggested that patients with prior gastric bypass may be at increased risk for hypocalcemia following thyroidectomy. Unfortunately, most of these studies are limited to case reports and small series. This study represents the largest sample size to date to assess the incidence of post-thyroidectomy hypocalcemia in patients with a history of bariatric surgery.

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The American Academy of Pediatrics has previously expressed concerns about the thematic content of television (TV) and the amount of time children spend viewing TV. The objective of this study was to determine the positive and negative themes depicted in a select number of TV shows targeted toward adolescents. We analyzed the thematic content depicted in the first season of 26 Netflix TV shows.

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