'The Laryngectomee Guide' in Malaysian Language.

'The Laryngectomee Guide' (Panduan Pesakit Laringektomi) is available now in Malaysian language. The Guide provides information that can assist laryngectomees and their medical providers about medical, dental and psychological issues. It contains information about side effects of radiation and chemotherapy; methods of speaking; airway, stoma, and voice prosthesis care; eating and swallowing; medical, dental and psychological concerns; respiration; anesthesia; travelling and how to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Paroxysmal Hypertensive Episodes Caused by Direct Massage of the Carotid Artery by a Doppler Ultrasound of the Neck in a Laryngectomee.

Paroxysmal hypertension (PH) can be associated with the carotid artery baroreceptors' failure due to past exposure to radiation treatment. This report presents a patient who experienced repeated PH episodes due to the direct massage of the carotid artery during Doppler ultrasound of the neck. The radiation damage to the carotid artery baroreceptors might have increased their hypersensitivity to the mechanical and ultrasonic stimulation during the diagnostic test, leading to the hypertensive episodes. Patients who had received radiation therapy for head-and-neck cancer and require Doppler ultrasound of the carotid artery should be monitored for PH by recording their blood pressure prior and after the test.

Spectrum and treatment of anaerobic infections.

Anaerobes are the most predominant components of the normal human skin and mucous membranes bacterial flora, and are a frequent cause of endogenous bacterial infections. Anaerobic infections can occur in all body locations: the central nervous system, oral cavity, head and neck, chest, abdomen, pelvis, skin, and soft tissues. Treatment of anaerobic infection is complicated by their slow growth in culture, by their polymicrobial nature and by their growing resistance to antimicrobials. Antimicrobial therapy is frequently the only form of therapy needed, whereas in others it is an important adjunct to drainage and surgery. Because anaerobes generally are isolated mixed with aerobes, the antimicrobial chosen should provide for adequate coverage of both. The most effective antimicrobials against anaerobes are: metronidazole, the carbapenems (imipenem, meropenem, doripenem, ertapenem), chloramphenicol, the combinations of a penicillin and a beta-lactamase inhibitors (ampicillin or ticarcillin plus clavulanate, amoxicillin plus sulbactam, piperacillin plus tazobactam), tigecycline, cefoxitin and clindamycin.

Treating appendicitis with antibiotics.

A nonsurgical approach using antimicrobial agents has been advocated as the initial treatment of uncomplicated appendicitis. Several studies and meta-analyses explored this approach. Because many of these studies included individuals with resolving appendicitis, their results were biased. Antimicrobials, however, are warranted and needed for the management of surgical high-risk patients with perforated appendicitis and those with localized abscess or phlegmon. Randomized placebo-controlled trials that focus on early identification of complicated acute appendicitis patients needing surgery and that prospectively evaluate the optimal use of antibiotic treatment in patients with uncomplicated acute appendicitis are warranted.

Antianaerobic antimicrobials: spectrum and susceptibility testing.

Susceptibility testing of anaerobic bacteria recovered from selected cases can influence the choice of antimicrobial therapy. The Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) has standardized many laboratory procedures, including anaerobic susceptibility testing (AST), and has published documents for AST. The standardization of testing methods by the CLSI allows comparisons of resistance trends among various laboratories. Susceptibility testing should be performed on organisms recovered from sterile body sites, those that are isolated in pure culture, or those that are clinically important and have variable or unique susceptibility patterns. Organisms that should be considered for individual isolate testing include highly virulent pathogens for which susceptibility cannot be predicted, such as Bacteroides, Prevotella, Fusobacterium, and Clostridium spp.; Bilophila wadsworthia; and Sutterella wadsworthensis. This review describes the current methods for AST in research and reference laboratories. These methods include the use of agar dilution, broth microdilution, Etest, and the spiral gradient endpoint system. The antimicrobials potentially effective against anaerobic bacteria include beta-lactams, combinations of beta-lactams and beta-lactamase inhibitors, metronidazole, chloramphenicol, clindamycin, macrolides, tetracyclines, and fluoroquinolones. The spectrum of efficacy, antimicrobial resistance mechanisms, and resistance patterns against these agents are described.

The experience of a battalion physician in the Yom Kippur War.

A medical officer's tasks during wartime are especially complex and difficult. This article describes the numerous challenges faced while serving as a battalion physician in the Israeli Army during the 1973 Yom Kippur War. I had to take care of the medical and psychological needs of the hundreds of soldiers in the battalion and also needed to ensure the health of my own medical team so that we could effectively serve those on the battlefield. At the same time, I had to deal with my own anxieties and fear as I experienced the high human cost of war. I also had to constantly assess our strategic situation; be informed of and anticipate future events; make sure that the medical team acted appropriately in the field; be a role model to others; practice preventive medicine; deal with my soldiers' fears, anxieties and post-traumatic stress; be always available to those in need; improvise when needed and maintain my compassion for human life-even when the life was the enemy's.

Long-term use of heat and moisture exchangers among laryngectomees: medical, social, and psychological patterns.

OBJECTIVES: After laryngectomy, pulmonary protection is mostly acquired by means of a heat and moisture exchanger (HME) that is placed on an airtight seal around the stoma. The effects of HMEs on the tracheal climate have been well described, and the filtration effect of an HME with an electrostatic filter has been described in vitro. The effects of HME use in patients have been documented in several trials in different countries. The follow-up time of the patients in these trials, however, is limited. Less is known about long-term use of HMEs, and studies describing long-term compliance with HME use are scarce. This study investigated the long-term use of HMEs in laryngectomees. METHODS: Questionnaires were sent to 195 laryngectomees, and 75 questionnaires were returned. RESULTS: More than 85% of the respondents used an HME, of whom 77% were compliant users (ie, use for more than 20 hours per day). The incidence of pulmonary illnesses (either before or after surgery) was about 25%. More than 90% of the respondents were heavy smokers before laryngectomy. One third of the respondents are regularly exposed to dusty environments. Compliant HME users tend to make less use of external humidifiers and vaporizers, and have better pulmonary status and lower health-care costs. Regarding quality of life, patients who use a FreeHands device tended to have more frequent social contacts (r = 0.251; p = 0.030). The prevalence of depression is high, pointing to an urgent need to recognize and treat psychiatric problems such as depression and suicidal ideation in this patient group. CONCLUSIONS: These findings have implications for any postlaryngectomy research that uses pulmonary parameters.

Cervical Radiculopathy Presenting as Ischemic Stroke After Carotid Artery Stent Placement.

Abrupt loss of focal brain function is the main characteristic of the beginning of ischemic stroke. However, individuals with disorders other than stroke can also present with similar features. These conditions include seizure disorders, migraine, central nervous system abscess or tumor, head trauma, subdural hematoma, cerebral venous thrombosis, viral encephalitis, conversion reaction, hypertensive encephalopathy, multiple sclerosis, and spinal cord disorder. An 82-year-old man presented with a sudden onset of numbness in his left forearm in the distribution of C6 and C7 spinal nerves, 2 days after undergoing endarterectomy and stent placement in his right carotid artery because of stenosis. He was diagnosed with hypo-pharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (T1, L0, M0) 17 years earlier (2006) which was treated with 70 Gy intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT). The patient underwent stent insertion into his left carotid artery 3.5 years earlier because of 80% carotid artery stenosis. He was initially suspected to have an ischemic stroke. However, computed tomography angiography of the head and neck did not show stenosis or occlusion of the major intracranial arteries and no aneurysms were identified. It showed interval stenting of the cervical portion of the right carotid artery and stable appearance of left carotid artery stent. Both carotid artery stents and the vertebral arteries were patent. The cervical spine showed bilateral moderate to severe foramen stenosis in C3-C4 and C5-C6, and moderate to severe stenosis in the right C2-C3 and left C4-C5. His symptoms subsided after performing neck extension exercises. This is the first report of a patient whose cervical radiculopathy symptoms were suspected to be caused by ischemic stroke. The recent angioplasty and stent placement in the right carotid artery made the association more likely and had to be excluded. Clinicians should be aware that cervical radiculopathy could present as ischemic stroke. It is therefore important that disorders that cause symptoms similar to ischemic stroke are also considered in these individuals.

IDSA clinical practice guideline for acute bacterial rhinosinusitis in children and adults.

Evidence-based guidelines for the diagnosis and initial management of suspected acute bacterial rhinosinusitis in adults and children were prepared by a multidisciplinary expert panel of the Infectious Diseases Society of America comprising clinicians and investigators representing internal medicine, pediatrics, emergency medicine, otolaryngology, public health, epidemiology, and adult and pediatric infectious disease specialties. Recommendations for diagnosis, laboratory investigation, and empiric antimicrobial and adjunctive therapy were developed.

Eating again: a physician's personal experience after laryngectomy.

This article presents the author's personal experiences in eating again after becoming a laryngectomee. He was diagnosed with hypopharyngeal carcinoma and underwent total laryngectomy with a free flap reconstruction. The personal story is told in the hope that nutritionists and other health care providers will realize the difficult challenges in obtaining adequate nutrition that a patient diagnosed with cancer who undergoes laryngectomy must face. These include the effects of radiation treatment and surgery, which create functional and anatomical changes that make swallowing difficult.

Ventilation of neck breathers undergoing a diagnostic procedure or surgery.

Receiving sedation while undergoing a diagnostic procedure or general anesthesia for surgery is challenging for neck breathers including laryngectomees. Unfortunately, most medical personnel including nurses, medical technicians, surgeons, and anesthesiologists caring for laryngectomees before, during, and after surgery are not familiar with their unique anatomy, how they speak, and how to manage their airways during and after the operation. Methods to improve the care are discussed. Educating medical personnel about these issues can improve the care of neck breathers.

The increased risk of community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in neck infections in young children.

An increase in the isolation rate of methicillin-resistant Staphylooccus aureus (MRSA) in pediatric deep space neck infections including abscesses has been noted in recent years. A recent study by Duggal et al. [9] analyzed the microbiology of deep neck space in children and identify the possible risk factors. Patients younger than 16 months of age were 10 times more likely to have an S. aureus infection as compared to non S. aureus (P < .0001). MRSA comprised the majority of all S. aureus isolates (58%). The majority of community acquired -MRSA (80%) and methicillin sensitive S. aureus isolates (83%) were identified in lateral abscesses in contrast to the non-S. aureus isolates that were located medially (56%). African American pediatric patients accounted for 70% of all deep neck space infections, and 86% of all MRSA infections. Clindamycin resistance was detected in 8% (4/49) of all community-acquired MRSA isolates. The study illustrates significant differences in age and location of neck space infections as they relate to isolation of S. aureus.

Anaerobic bacteria in upper respiratory tract and head and neck infections: microbiology and treatment.

Anaerobes are the predominant components of oropharyngeal mucous membranes bacterial flora, and are therefore a common cause of bacterial infections of endogenous origin of upper respiratory tract and head and neck. This review summarizes the aerobic and anaerobic microbiology and antimicrobials therapy of these infections. These include acute and chronic otitis media, mastoiditis and sinusitis, pharyngo-tonsillitis, peritonsillar, retropharyngeal and parapharyngeal abscesses, suppurative thyroiditis, cervical lymphadenitis, parotitis, siliadenitis, and deep neck infections including Lemierre Syndrome. The recovery from these infections depends on prompt and proper medical and when indicated also surgical management.

Correction of carotid artery stenosis by stent placement ameliorated paroxysmal hypertension after radiation treatment of hypopharyngeal carcinoma: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Paroxysmal hypertension can be associated with failure of the carotid artery baroreceptors due to past exposure to radiation treatment. This report describes a patient whose repeated paroxysmal hypertensive episodes were ameliorated following placement of a carotid artery stent for the treatment of carotid artery stenosis. CASE REPORT: A 79-year-old caucasian male was diagnosed with hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (T1, L0, M0) in 2006, and received 70 Gy intensity-modulated radiotherapy in 2006 and underwent a total laryngectomy in 2008. He experienced paroxysmal hypertensive episodes since 2010 that exacerbated in frequency in 2019. Eighty percent left internal carotid artery stenosis was demonstrated by ultrasound and arteriography. Angioplasty and stenting of the left carotid artery was performed. A Doppler ultrasound study performed 5 months after the stent placement did not reveal any hemodynamic stenosis in the left carotid artery. The patient experienced postprandial hypotension and had experienced only three episodes of paroxysmal hypertension in the following 24 months. He was able to abort paroxysmal hypertensive episodes by eating warm food. DISCUSSION: This is the first report of a patient whose paroxysmal hypertensive episodes that occurred following radiation of the neck subsided after placement of a stent in a stenotic carotid artery. The exact mechanism leading to this phenomena is unknown but may be due to several factors. The reversal of the carotid artery stent and improvement in blood flow to the carotid artery baroceptors may play a role in this phenomenon. CONCLUSION: The ability to ameliorate paroxysmal hypertensive episodes in a patient with carotid artery stenosis by stent placement may be a promising therapeutic intervention for paroxysmal hypertension.

A physician as a cancer of the neck patient: getting irradiated.

This manuscript presents my personal experiences as a physician undergoing radiation therapy for throat cancer. I describe the physical and emotional effects of the radiation treatment and how I coped with them. The side effects that emerged during of the radiation treatment included: fatigue, mental cloudiness, pain and dryness in my throat, food aversion, inability to taste, and skin burning around the neck. It is my hope that both patients and health care providers will benefit from reading my personal story. I hope that my perspectives will assist individuals who undergo radiation treatment cope better with them. It is also my hope that health care professionals who care for these patients will gain insight into what their patients experience and feel so that they would be able to better assist them during this difficult time.

Anaerobic infections in children.

Anaerobic bacteria commonly cause infection in children. Anaerobes are the most predominant components of the normal human skin and mucous membranes bacterial flora and are therefore a common cause of bacterial infections of endogenous origin. Because of their fastidious nature, they are difficult to isolate from infectious sites and are often overlooked. Anaerobic infections can occur in all body sites, including the central nervous system, oral cavity, head and neck, chest, abdomen, pelvis, skin, and soft tissues. They colonize the newborn after delivery and have been recovered from several types of neonatal infections. These include cellulitis of the site of fetal monitoring, neonatal aspiration pneumonia, bacteremia, conjunctivitis, omphalitis, and infant botulism. The failure to direct adequate therapy against these organisms may lead to clinical failures. Their isolation requires appropriate methods of collection, transportation, and cultivation of specimens. Treatment of anaerobic infection is complicated by the slow growth of these organisms, by their polymicrobial nature, and by the growing resistance of anaerobic bacteria to antimicrobials. Antimicrobial therapy is often the only form of therapy required, whereas in others it is an important adjunct to a surgical approach. Because anaerobic bacteria generally are recovered mixed with aerobic organisms, the choice of appropriate antimicrobial agents should provide for adequate coverage of both types of pathogen.

Microbiology of acute and chronic maxillary sinusitis in smokers and nonsmokers.

OBJECTIVES: We evaluated the microbiology of sinus aspirates of smokers and nonsmokers with acute and chronic maxillary sinusitis. METHODS: Cultures were obtained from 458 patients, 244 (87 smokers and 157 nonsmokers) of whom had acute maxillary sinusitis and 214 (84 smokers and 130 nonsmokers) of whom had chronic maxillary sinusitis, between 2001 and 2007. RESULTS: A greater number of Staphylococcus aureus, methicillin-resistant S aureus (MRSA), and beta-lactamase-producing bacteria (BLPB) were found in the 87 smokers with acute sinusitis than in the nonsmokers with acute sinusitis (p < 0.005, p < 0.025, and p < 0.05, respectively). A greater number of these organisms were found in the 84 smokers with chronic sinusitis than in the nonsmokers (p < 0.01, p < 0.025, and p < 0.001, respectively). Eighty-five BLPB isolates were recovered from 73 patients (30%) with acute sinusitis. These included Moraxella catarrhalis, S aureus, Haemophilus influenzae, Prevotella spp, and Fusobacterium spp; 40 BLPB isolates were found in smokers, and 45 in nonsmokers (p < 0.05). One hundred twenty-five BLPB isolates were recovered from 91 patients (43%) with chronic sinusitis, including M catarrhalis, Bacteroides fragilis group, S aureus, H influenzae, Prevotella spp, and Fusobacterium spp; 69 BLPB isolates were found in smokers, and 56 in nonsmokers (p < 0.001). Antimicrobial therapy had been administered in the past month to 130 patients (28%; 60 smokers and 70 nonsmokers; p <0.025). Both MRSA and BLPB were isolated more often from these individuals (p < 0.025). However, the higher isolation rates of MRSA and BLPB in smokers were independent of previous antimicrobial therapy. CONCLUSIONS: These data illustrate a greater frequency of isolation of S aureus, MRSA, and BLPB in patients with acute and chronic sinusitis who smoke.

"The Laryngectomee Guide" is available in 18 languages (Free eBooks).

"The Laryngectomee Guide" contains information about the diagnosis and treatment of laryngeal cancer, side effects of radiation and chemotherapy; methods of speaking; airway, stoma, and voice prosthesis care; eating and swallowing; medical, dental and psychological concerns; respiration; anesthesia; and travelling. The Guide is available now in 18 languages (English, French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish (4 versions), Bulgarian, Bosnian, Greece, Romanian, Turkish, Arabic, Persian, Simple and traditional Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Filipino, and Russian).

Oral Intubation Attempts in Patients With a Laryngectomy: A Significant Safety Threat.

It is impossible to secure the airway of a patient with "neck-only" breathing transorally or transnasally. Surgical removal of the larynx (laryngectomy) or tracheal rerouting (tracheoesophageal diversion or laryngotracheal separation) creates anatomic discontinuity. Misguided attempts at oral intubation of neck breathers may cause hypoxic brain injury or death. We present national data from the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, the American Head and Neck Society, and the United Kingdom's National Reporting and Learning Service. Over half of US otolaryngologist respondents reported instances of attempted oral intubations among patients with laryngectomy, with a mortality rate of 26%. UK audits similarly revealed numerous resuscitation efforts where misunderstanding of neck breather status led to harm or death. Such data underscore the critical importance of staff education, patient engagement, effective signage, and systems-based best practices to reliably clarify neck breather status and provide necessary resources for safe patient airway management.