Assessment of YouTube as an educational tool in teaching flexible nasendoscopy and peritonsillar abscess drainage.

BACKGROUND: Partly as a result of coronavirus disease 2019, YouTube has become a more frequent educational source for otolaryngology trainees. This study sought to assess the quality of flexible nasendoscopy and peritonsillar abscess drainage videos. METHOD: YouTube was systematically searched using 13 terms related to flexible nasendoscopy and peritonsillar abscess drainage. Two independent reviewers assessed the quality of each video using the Laparoscopic Video Educational Guidelines. RESULTS: Twenty-seven videos were deemed suitable. The mean total Laparoscopic Video Educational Guidelines scores for videos on flexible nasendoscopy (18 videos) and peritonsillar abscess drainage (9 videos) were 10.3 (standard deviation = 3.1) and 11.7 (standard deviation = 4.6), respectively. Most of the videos were deemed of medium quality. The Laparoscopic Video Educational Guidelines score correlated positively with flexible nasendoscopy video length and how recently a peritonsillar abscess drainage video had been uploaded. CONCLUSION: The limited high-quality videos on YouTube are difficult to identify from the search metrics available. Trainees and ENT induction programmes would benefit greatly from an online platform that contains a catalogue of high-quality surgical videos.

Long-term impact of paediatric tonsillectomy and adenotonsillectomy on the Paediatric Throat Disorders Outcome Test: a prospective observational study.

BACKGROUND: The clinical value of tonsillectomy continues to cause much debate, despite tonsil disease representing a significant burden to patients, caregivers and healthcare systems. This study assessed the long-term effect of adenotonsillectomy or tonsillectomy on the Paediatric Throat Disorders Outcome Test ('T-14'), a validated tool used to objectively assess obstructive and infective symptoms in paediatric throat disorders. METHODS: Patients aged under 16 years undergoing adenotonsillectomy or tonsillectomy were recruited consecutively from 2018 into our prospective observational study. The Paediatric Throat Disorders Outcome Test questionnaire was completed by the children's caregivers pre-operatively (n = 80), and at 21 days (n = 68) and 2 years (n = 66) post-operatively. RESULTS: Significant reductions were noted in mean total Paediatric Throat Disorders Outcome Test scores at 21 days and 2 years post-operatively (p ≤ 0.003). CONCLUSION: Our results provide supporting evidence that paediatric adenotonsillectomy or tonsillectomy significantly improves quality of life up to two years post-operatively, and therefore remains a valuable use of healthcare resources.