The prevalence of human papillomavirus in paediatric tonsils in Southwestern Ontario.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of human papillomavirus in paediatric tonsils in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients aged 0-18 years undergoing tonsillectomy were recruited. Two specimens (left and right tonsils) were collected from each participant. Tonsillar DNA was analysed using quantitative polymerase chain reaction to determine the presence of human papillomavirus subtypes 6, 11, 16 or 18. RESULTS: A total of 102 patients, aged 1-18 years (mean age of 5.7 years), were recruited. Ninety-nine surveys were returned. There were 44 females (44.4 per cent) and 55 males (55.6 per cent). Forty patients (40.4 per cent) were firstborn children and 73 (73.7 per cent) were delivered vaginally. Six mothers (6.1 per cent) and one father (1.0 per cent) had prior known human papillomavirus infection, and one mother (1.0 per cent) had a history of cervical cancer. All tonsil specimens were negative for human papillomavirus subtypes 6, 11, 16 and 18. CONCLUSION: No human papillomavirus subtypes 6, 11, 16 or 18 were found in paediatric tonsil specimens from Southwestern Ontario.

Safety of nasal stenting in pharyngeal flap surgery for pediatric velopharyngeal dysfunction.

INTRODUCTION: The pharyngeal flap procedure is an effective surgery for velopharyngeal dysfunction (VPD) yet carries approximately a 3.2% post-operative airway obstruction risk. Life threatening airway compromise occurs in first 24 h post-operatively. Nasopharyngeal airway has been shown to decrease these complications but its routine use is not commonplace. At our centre, surgical technique involves routine placement of bilateral nasopharyngeal airway referred to as nasal stenting. Our objective was to demonstrate safety of nasal stenting for children with VPD undergoing pharyngeal flap surgery. METHODS: A retrospective review of pediatric patients aged 1 through 18 years at the time of VPD diagnosis, who underwent superiorly based pharyngeal flap surgery at London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC), was conducted. Patients were admitted to a regular ward with bihourly oxygen saturation checks. Nasal stents were removed on post-operative day two. Demographic data along with patient outcomes and perioperative complications were collected and analyzed. RESULTS: Eighty-five pediatric patients underwent superiorly based pharyngeal flap surgery at LHSC from November 2004 through February 2017 that met inclusion criteria. Mean age at the time of surgery was 11.0 years, whereas average age at diagnosis was 8.7 years. The majority of patients (60.0%) had history of cleft palate repair. Only 28.2% had additional comorbidities, the most common being Pierre-Robin Sequence. Average length of hospital stay was 2.7 days. No patients required admission to an intensive care unit. Surgical complication rate was 8.2%. No post-operative airway obstruction events were encountered. Two patients (2.3%) underwent pharyngeal flap reversal for obstructive sleep apnea and one for persistent nasal obstruction. Five (5.9%) minor stent-related complications were captured. Two patients developed self-limiting epistaxis. Two patients had partially extruded stents prior to their removal. One patient developed nasopharyngeal port granuloma which resolved with a course of intranasal corticosteroids. CONCLUSION: Nasal stenting for pharyngeal flap surgery is safe. Stent related complications were minor and did not influence length of hospital stay. A prospective study to determine if routine stenting would lead to decreased serious airway complications is warranted.

Delay in diagnosis of patients with head-and-neck cancer in Canada: impact of patient and provider delay.

Background: Head-and-neck cancers (hncs) often present at an advanced stage, leading to poor outcomes. Late presentation might be attributable to patient delays (reluctance to seek treatment, for instance) or provider delays (misdiagnosis, prolonged wait time for consultation, for example). The objective of the present study was to examine the length and cause of such delays in a Canadian universal health care setting. Methods: Patients presenting for the first time to the hnc multidisciplinary team (mdt) with a biopsy-proven hnc were recruited to this study. Patients completed a survey querying initial symptom presentation, their previous medical appointments, and length of time between appointments. Clinical and demographic data were collected for all patients. Results: The average time for patients to have their first appointment at the mdt clinic was 15.1 months, consisting of 3.9 months for patients to see a health care provider (hcp) for the first time since symptom onset and 10.7 months from first hcp appointment to the mdt clinic. Patients saw an average of 3 hcps before the mdt clinic visit (range: 1-7). No significant differences in time to presentation were found based on stage at presentation or anatomic site. Conclusions: At our tertiary care cancer centre, a patient's clinical pathway to being seen at the mdt clinic shows significant delays, particularly in the time from the first hcp visit to mdt referral. Possible methods to mitigate delay include education about hnc for patients and providers alike, and a more streamlined referral system.

Influence of industrial toxic compounds on pregnancy. VI. Some tissue enzymes in pregnant guinea pigs exposed to the action of triethylenetetramine.

Gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase activity in kidney homogenates, aspartate and alanine aminotransferase activities in liver homogenates, and cholinesterase activity in brain homogenates were determined in nonpregnant and pregnant guinea pigs exposed to absorption through the skin of the epoxy resin triethylenetetramine. Elevated activity of gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase in the kidneys of pregnant animals, and aspartate aminotransferase in the liver of nonpregnant guinea pigs were observed.