Excessive Preoperative Testing in Otolaryngology: A Retrospective Comparison of Primary Care and Perioperative Providers.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the association between provider type (primary care provider [PCP] or perioperative provider) and excessive preoperative testing. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Academic medical center. METHODS: Electronic medical records of adult patients who obtained an outpatient preoperative assessment and underwent surgery in the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery during the first 2 weeks of January 2019 (n = 94) were reviewed. Patients receiving preoperative tests beyond those recommended by the guidelines were deemed to have had excessive testing. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize the study population. Simple and multivariate logistic regression were used to analyze the association between the outcome and the predictor variables. RESULTS: Overall, 44.7% of preoperative evaluations had excessive testing. Patients who had their preoperative evaluation performed by a perioperative provider had 89% lower odds of having excessive preoperative testing compared to those evaluated by a PCP (odds ratio = 0.11, 95% confidence interval: [0.03, 0.37], P < .001). Female sex, younger age, and higher risk of major adverse cardiac events were associated with greater odds of excessive testing. CONCLUSION: Excessive preoperative testing is more commonly performed by PCPs compared to perioperative providers. These results give preliminary evidence in support of a potential shift in the clinical responsibility of preoperative evaluation from PCPs to perioperative providers in order to reduce excessive testing and promote high-value health care. The next steps include validating these findings, identifying reasons for differential guideline concordance, and intervening accordingly.

Hepatomegaly and short stature in a 14-year-old with type 1 diabetes mellitus: case report.

BACKGROUND: Mauriac syndrome is a rare consequence of poorly controlled insulin-dependent diabetes, characterized by hepatomegaly, growth failure, delayed onset of puberty, and cushingoid features. Case reports of patients with Mauriac syndrome are found infrequently in the literature given historic improvements in diabetes management due to readily available insulin therapy. METHODS: We describe a case of a 14-year-old girl who presented with acute onset abdominal pain, distention, and orthopnea. RESULTS: She had a history of poorly controlled insulin-dependent diabetes as well as short stature. Abdominal imaging revealed impressive hepatomegaly. Laboratory testing showed markedly elevated triglycerides and cholesterol. Mauriac syndrome was suspected and diagnosed by liver biopsy, which demonstrated significant glycogenic hepatopathy. CONCLUSIONS: This case provides an illustrative example of Mauriac syndrome in a child who did not experience delayed onset of puberty and continued to have regular menses unlike what has been previously described. Furthermore, this case highlights the important consideration for significant dyslipidemia in patients with Mauriac syndrome and discusses the challenges of controlling insulin-dependent diabetes in the adolescent population.

Unintentional use of fentanyl attributed to surreptitious cannabis adulteration.

OBJECTIVE: This case addresses the issue of surreptitious adulteration of cannabis. Many with opioid and substance use disorders use cannabis while receiving office-based opioid treatment (OBOT), making it valuable to understand the rationale for its use. Further study of the effects that cannabis use has on OBOT success or failure is necessary. CASE SUMMARY: A 50-year-old man receiving OBOT continually tested positive in urine drug screenings (UDSs) for fentanyl, while abstaining from all opiates, but he endorsed smoking cannabis 2-3 times weekly as a self-reported headache reliever and a sleep aid. After changing the source from which he bought cannabis, his UDS became negative for fentanyl. He was maintained on a stable dose of buprenorphine with a consistent UDS after this intervention and was able to make many positive lifestyle changes as a result (i.e., maintaining a relationship with his girlfriend, continuing attendance at support groups, and pursuing employment opportunities). PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: The consequences of cannabis use on OBOT success are highly variable and dependent on many factors. Although the concern regarding adulteration of cannabis exists, there is no systematic monitoring or reliable data on its frequency or the magnitude of its effect, which generates a demand for further research and exploration. Depending on state-specific regulations, patients may be able to obtain cannabis from reliable, regulated (nonadulterated) sources. However, providers must thoroughly consider the barriers to patients obtaining medicinal or legalized cannabis.

Screening for colorectal cancer.

This review will comprise a general overview of colorectal cancer (CRC) screening. We will cover the impact of CRC, CRC risk factors, screening modalities, and guideline recommendations for screening in average-risk and high-risk individuals. Based on this data, we will summarize our approach to CRC screening.

Screening for prostate cancer.

This review comprises a general overview of the impact and risk factors for prostate cancer. Evidenced-based professional society prostate cancer screening guideline recommendations are reviewed, and our approach to a case is presented.

Screening for breast cancer.

This review will give a general overview of the impact of breast cancer, as well as breast cancer risk factors, identification of high-risk groups, screening modalities, and guidelines for screening average-risk and high-risk individuals, including a case discussion of the primary care provider's approach to screening.

Screening for lung cancer.

This review will comprise a general overview of the epidemiology of lung cancer, as well as lung cancer risk factors, screening modalities, current guideline recommendations for screening, and our approach to lung cancer screening.

Common Misconceptions, Advancements, and Updates in Pediatric Vaccination Administration.

Vaccines are among the greatest achievements in biomedicine and public health. Yet for a variety of reasons, some vaccine-preventable illnesses have experienced resurgences during the last decade. As such, there is a particular need for pediatric providers to be aware of the newest guidelines for vaccination administration to provide consistent and evidence-based recommendations and thoughtful reassurance to families. We aimed to enhance providers' understanding of pediatric vaccinations by highlighting recent changes in vaccination guidelines and addressing common knowledge gaps. This is not a comprehensive list or systematic review of vaccination recommendations. Rather, we present a collection of new developments and misconceptions we have found particularly relevant in our own experience in providing vaccination education at a training institution.

Sacrococcygeal yolk sac tumor presenting as subcutaneous fluid collection initially treated as abscess.

Malignant extragonadal germ cell tumors, though more common in infants and children, are rare. They occur in the body's midline and may have internal and external manifestations. We report a case of an 11-month-old female with sacrococcygeal extragonadal yolk sac tumor manifesting as a draining subcutaneous nodule after initial treatment as an abscess. Extragonadal germ cell tumors can present with external manifestations confusingly similar to other more benign soft tissue conditions.

Case report of mastocytosis in an adult.

A case of adult-onset mastocytosis is presented to illustrate the classification, signs, symptoms, workup, treatment, and prognosis for this unusual condition. Although there is no cure for mastocytosis, symptoms of histamine release can be minimized with oral antihistamines. Ongoing surveillance of organ systems affected remains important. Our patient's mast cell disease predisposed him to bone loss, but there was no evidence of disease beyond the skin. He has done well with continued follow up monitoring his serum tryptase and oral antihistamine treatment.