Pain Management and Education for Ambulatory Surgery: A Qualitative Study of Perioperative Nurses.

BACKGROUND: Ambulatory surgery presents unique challenges regarding adequate pain management and education. Studies have documented issues with transfer of information and patient comfort. Our objective was to explore perioperative nurses' perspectives of current practices and challenges with pain management and education. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We used a qualitative descriptive design and conducted four focus group interviews, with 24 total participants from two perioperative areas of an academic medical center, using a standardized script. Using qualitative analysis software, two investigators reviewed the data and coded major themes and subthemes. The consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative studies guidelines were followed for reporting the data. RESULTS: We identified four major themes impacting current perioperative pain management and education practices: communication among the perioperative care team, sources of nurses' frustrations in the perioperative setting, patient expectations for pain, and nurse-driven pain management and education. Nurses highlighted their work became easier with adequate information transfer and trust from physicians. Frustrations stemmed from surgeon, system, and patient factors. Nurses often use their clinical experience and judgment in managing patients throughout the perioperative period. Furthermore, nurses felt patients have limited pain education and stressed education throughout the surgical care pathway could improve overall care. CONCLUSIONS: Perioperative pain management, assessment, and education practices are inconsistent, incomplete, and sources of frustrations according to participants. Participant experiences highlight the need for improved and standardized models. Patient pain education should use a multidisciplinary approach, beginning at the point of surgery scheduling and continuing through postoperative follow-up.

Incidence of Odontogenic Disease in Patients With Pott's Puffy Tumor.

PURPOSE: Osteomyelitis with subperiosteal abscess of the frontal bone, or Pott's puffy tumor (PPT), is a rare but life-threatening condition. The relationship of concurrent dental disease to PPT has not been well described. This study sought to delineate the incidence of odontogenic disease in PPT, especially in cases where there is no history of facial trauma or prior frontal sinus surgery. METHODS: A retrospective chart review of patients diagnosed with PPT between 2010 and 2019 was carried out. Demographics, pertinent medical history, surgical procedures performed, and microbial cultures and antibiotics used were extracted for analysis. Maxillofacial computed tomography scans were reviewed for presence of odontogenic disease. RESULTS: A total of 17 patients were identified. Four had documented history of frontal bone trauma; 3 had previous frontal sinus surgery. Seven (41%) had documented odontogenic disease on initial radiology reports; however, upon dentist review, 16 (94%) had various pathology visible on their computed tomography scans. Twelve of these 16 patients had no previous frontal sinus trauma or surgery. Eight patients (47%) had only ipsilateral maxillary or ethmoid inflammation respective to PPT on computed tomography. Seventy-six percent of patients underwent endoscopic sinus surgery. Of 14 patients with cultures collected at the time of surgery, 7 (50%) had polymicrobial growth and 6 (43%) had anaerobic growth. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of odontogenic disease in this population of PPT was 94%. In the absence of a history of frontal bone trauma or frontal sinus surgery, underlying dental origin should be suspected in cases of PPT. Initial radiology reports may not document all identifiable dental pathology. Therefore, patients presenting with PPT should undergo comprehensive evaluation, including an oral cavity and dental examination, and potential referral to dental colleagues.

EMR quantity autopopulation removal on hospital discharge prescribing patterns: Implications for opioid stewardship.

WHAT IS KNOWN AND OBJECTIVE: Prescription drug stewardship is critical. Autopopulation(AP) of medication quantities may influence prescriber behaviour. We investigate the impact of AP removal(APR) on opioid prescribing. METHODS: Inpatient and emergency department(ED) discharges with opioid pain medications 2 years before and after APR were identified. Milligrams of morphine equivalents(MMEs) prescribed were recorded. Group comparisons were performed using Mann-Whitney U tests. Spearman's rho was used to analyse correlations between pain level and quantity of prescribed opioids. Mann-Kendall tests assessed trends in prescription patterns. Generalized estimating equations assessed trends in total quantity of prescribed MME. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: A total of 53 608 patient encounters were included for analysis. In surgical patients, there were no trends in the frequency of prescriptions below, at or above the AP quantity pre-APR. Post-APR, there was a decrease in the percentage of prescriptions written for the AP quantity(τ = -.493, P = .001) and an increase in prescriptions for <30 tablets(τ = .468,P = .001). In non-operative patients, the pre-APR period was associated with a lower percentage of prescriptions >30 tablets and a greater percentage of prescriptions for <30 tablets. Interestingly, APR reversed this trend in prescriptions for >30 tablets and resulted in an increase in larger prescriptions. Multivariate analysis of the total prescribed quantity of MME found no significant trend across months for inpatients prior to and after APR (0.997, P = .065 and 1.003, P = .142; respectively). The ED model found a monthly downward trend in amount of prescribed MME prior to and after APR (0.986, P < .001 and 0.990, P < .001; respectively). In the inpatient setting, pain was positively correlated to discharge MME (ρ = .028, P < .001); with those reporting the highest pain receiving the greatest amount of opioids both pre- and post-APR. Interestingly, in the ED, this finding was negatively correlated (ρ = -.086, P < .001); with those reporting the lowest pain receiving the greatest amount of opioids both pre- and post-APR. WHAT IS NEW AND CONCLUSIONS: AP removal may have unintended consequences, such as increased prescriptions for greater quantities. To drive down prescription amounts, lower anchor values may be of more utility than APR. The poor correlation of pain values with prescribed medications warrants further investigation.

Beyond the USMLE: The STAR Algorithm for Initial Residency Applicant Screening and Interview Selection.

BACKGROUND: Efficient, nonbiased methods for screening residency candidates are lacking. The purpose of this study is to highlight the design, implementation, and impact of the Selection Tool for Applicants to Residency (STAR), an objective approach to selecting candidates to interview for residency selection purposes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Single-institution retrospective cohort study of medical student applicants and current residents of a single otolaryngology residency program from 2008 to 2015 was performed. STAR was introduced to the selection process in 2013 with no USMLE cutoff score needed to receive an interview. Single-institution review of otolaryngology residency program applications from 2008 to 2015 was performed. STAR was introduced in 2013. In addition to applicants, we analyzed characteristics of residents who successfully matched into our program. Prealgorithm residents (n = 16) and postalgorithm residents (n = 12) were compared to assess the impact of this approach on characteristics of successfully matched residents at the program. RESULTS: Three hundred sixty-five applications were analyzed. Applicant pools before and after algorithm displayed similar characteristics. Interestingly, while there was no USMLE "cutoff," scores significantly increased after algorithm. There was no significant difference in the proportion of women (P = 0.588) or underrepresented minorities (P = 0.587) invited to interview pre- and post-STAR. The algorithm significantly decreased the time needed to review applications and interview residency candidates without impacting the overall composition of the interviewee pool. CONCLUSIONS: Traditional application review methods can be time consuming and may not ensure effective screening of applicants. STAR, or similar objective tools, may be a viable alternative to evaluate applicants, reduce evaluative time, and potentially decrease the impact of unconscious bias.

Head and neck myiasis, cutaneous malignancy, and infection: a case series and review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: There is a paucity of literature on wound myiasis of the head and neck originating in the United States. To our knowledge, only three reports during the past 20 years exist in the literature. Even less common is a case of recurrent myiasis, with only one report published from India during the 1970s. There is often a preconceived notion that larvae are noninvasive and "only eat dead tissue." This mentality must be corrected; invasive larvae exist, there are unique myiasis-related infections, and serious complications can occur. We review the literature and describe recent cases of head and neck myiasis treated at our institution in upstate New York. CASE REPORTS: Four cases, all initially presenting to the emergency department, were identified. Each case was superimposed on cutaneous malignancy and all patients presented with leukocytosis and positive blood or wound cultures. In the case of the recurrent myiasis, initial treatment was external beam radiation therapy for the malignancy, which had the added benefit of eradicating the larvae. Treatment for the other cases was limited to antibiotics and supportive care for medical comorbidities. WHY SHOULD AN EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN BE AWARE OF THIS?: Serious complications can develop from head and neck myiasis and, in our experience, an underlying malignancy should be suspected. Proper management is critical and should include, at a minimum, empiric antibiotics, tetanus prophylaxis, biopsy of the surrounding tissue, and reporting to the appropriate health agency. Additional management can include bedside debridement, pharmacologic antiparasitics, and treatment of the underlying disorder.

Tracheostomy timing affects stroke recovery.

BACKGROUND: The timing of tracheostomy in stroke patients unable to protect their airway has become a topic of debate. Proponents for early tracheostomy (ET) cite benefits including less ventilation-associated pneumonia, less sedative drug use, shorter length of stay, and reduced mortality in comparison with late tracheostomy (LT). METHODS: We examined the timing of tracheostomy on stroke patient outcomes across the United States using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (2008-2010). Independent samples t tests and chi-squared tests were used to make comparisons between early (≤10 days) and late (11-25 days) tracheostomy. Multivariable models, adjusted for confounding factors, investigated outcome measures. RESULTS: In total, 13,165 stroke cases were included in the study (5591 in the ET group and 7574 in the LT group). Patients receiving an ET had a significant reduction in the odds of ventilator-associated pneumonia in comparison with the LT group (OR: .688, P = .026). The length of stay for patients receiving an ET was significantly lower in comparison with the LT group (P < .001) and was associated with an 18% reduction in total hospital costs (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Early tracheostomy for stroke patients may reduce the incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia, thereby shortening the hospital stay and lowering total hospital costs. These relationships warrant further investigation in a large prospective multicenter trial.

Inpatient pain assessment and decision-making in internal medicine and general surgery residents: A qualitative analysis.

Background: Understanding physician approaches to pain treatment is a critical component of opioid and analgesic stewardship. Practice patterns learned in residency often persist longitudinally into practice. Objective: This study sought to identify salient factors and themes in how resident physicians assess and manage pain. Methods: Video-recorded focus groups of internal medicine and general surgery residents were conducted via videoconferencing software. Data were analyzed using a ground theory approach and constant comparative method to identify themes and subthemes. Focus groups occurred in September and October 2020. Results: 10 focus groups including 35 subjects were conducted. Four general themes emerged: (1) Assessment considerations; (2) Education & Expectations; (3) Systems Factors; and (4) Management considerations. Participants indicated that while it is important to treat pain, its inherently subjective nature makes it difficult to objectively quantify it. The 0-10 numeric rating scale was problematic and infrequently utilized. Patient expectations of no pain following procedures was viewed as particularly challenging. The absence of formal best practices to guide pain assessment and management was noted in every group. Management approaches overall very highly variable, often relying on word-of-mouth relay of the preferences of specific attending physicians. Conclusions: Pain is highly nuanced and resident physicians struggle to balance pain's subjectivity with a desire to quantify and appropriately treat it. The 0-10 numeric rating pain scale, though ubiquitous, is problematic. Priority areas of improvement identified include education for both patients and physicians, functional pain scales, and expansion of existing effective resources like the nursing pain team.

Evaluating olfactory function and quality of life in patients with traumatic brain injury.

KEY POINTS: Patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) had worse olfactory quality of life (QoL) and Sino-Nasal Outcome Test-22 scores compared to a normal cohort. A worse olfactory QoL correlated with concussion symptom burden. Olfactory dysfunction among TBI patients should be addressed to improve overall outcomes.

Parental Vaccine Hesitancy in a COVID-19 World: A Qualitative Study of Midwestern Parents' Decisions Regarding COVID-19 Vaccination for Their Children.

Introduction: With the launch of the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) vaccines, a new cohort of people exists who do not consider themselves to be completely vaccine-hesitant, but are specifically COVID-19 vaccine hesitant (CVH). There is a need to learn from CVH parents, to ensure their concerns are addressed, and allow them to comfortably vaccinate their children against the COVID-19 virus. Methods: Surveys were used to identify CVH parents. Using semistructured interviews, we assessed the attitudes of CVH parents toward COVID-19 vaccination in children. An inductive coding method was used to analyze transcripts and develop themes. Results: Fourteen parents were interviewed. Seven (50%) had received the COVID-19 vaccine even though they had doubts. Six reported that education about mRNA vaccine production was helpful in deciding to get vaccinated. Parents were reluctant regarding pediatric vaccination due to lack of long-term studies and concerns about adverse impact on childhood development. Personal physicians were the most trusted source of information and direct conversations with them were the most influential, as opposed to public health leaders like the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health. Conclusions: Our findings suggested that physicians are among the most trusted sources of information regarding the COVID-19 vaccine for CVH parents. Rather than use broad public health messaging and advertising to increase rates of vaccination, further investigation into training health professionals on how to counsel CVH patients effectively may be a higher impact area of opportunity to improve vaccine response rates.

Longitudinal Olfactory Patterns in Multiple Sclerosis: A Scoping Review and Implication for Use in Management of Disease.

BACKGROUND: Although studies regarding multiple sclerosis (MS) and olfactory dysfunction (OD) have been previously described and summarized, there is not a sole review of longitudinal studies regarding the matter. This review examines the existing literature investigating MS and its effect on olfaction. In addition, the role of OD in the diagnosis and prognosis of MS is explored. METHODS: A scoping review of the literature was performed covering longitudinal studies investigating MS and OD. Systematic searches of PubMed, Google Scholar, Web of Science, Embase, PsycInfo, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, AgeLine, and MEDLINE were performed using terms that encompassed MS and olfaction. The aim of this review was to build on the existing literature by summarizing only findings that were demonstrated longitudinally. RESULTS: Of 6938 articles identified from the search, 9 met the inclusion criteria: longitudinal observation of relapsing-remitting or progressive MS. Olfaction was measured and scored using various testing arrays, and these scores were then correlated with a multitude of clinical markers. Across all studies, patients with MS demonstrated increased OD. Longitudinally, 2 contrasting patterns were identified: (1) clinical markers of acute inflammation correlated with an increased odor threshold and (2) clinical markers of neurodegeneration, or progression of disease, correlated with a decreased ability to discriminate and identify odors. CONCLUSIONS: These studies suggest that olfaction is a dynamic, dependent variable of neurodegeneration, correlating with inflammation and clinical markers. This opens the door for future exploration of olfaction's relationship with MS diagnosis, characterization, and therapeutic response.

Implementation of a Near-Peer Surgical Anatomy Teaching Program into the Surgery Clerkship.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to describe the implementation of Clinical Anatomy Mentorship Program (CAMP), a novel near-peer surgical anatomy teaching program, into the KU School of Medicine (KUSOM) Surgery Clerkship curriculum. DESIGN: Prospective qualitative and quantitative study. SETTING: Single institution, tertiary care hospital. PARTICIPANTS: All M3s at KUSOM on their surgery clerkship were eligible for inclusion for the learner cohort, n = 106. A group of M4s self-identified as CAMP mentors were eligible for inclusion for the teacher cohort, n = 40. RESULTS: M3s have statistically significant higher self-efficacy (p < 0.001) scores after participating in CAMP. Among open-ended comments written by M3s, significant themes highlighted that CAMP taught them a much-needed refresher on anatomy, gave them an introduction to surgical anatomy, and felt peer-to-peer teaching created a safe environment to ask questions. M4 mentors reported statistically significant (p < 0.001) increases in self-efficacy and confidence in teaching skills after teaching CAMP sessions. Among open-ended comments written by M4 mentors, significant themes highlighted that CAMP helped them develop their teaching skills and confidence in the operating room. CONCLUSIONS: In line with current medical education practices, KUSOM has significantly decreased anatomy in the curriculum. We responded to this shift by implementing CAMP, designed to address specific medical student needs for a surgically oriented anatomy instruction. CAMP has been effective at addressing student concerns about anatomy knowledge gaps. CAMP has enhanced self-efficacy, anatomy knowledge, and operating room exposure in M3s, and self-efficacy, teaching skills, surgical anatomy knowledge, and surgical confidence in M4s.

Investigation of a Novel Activity-Based Checks (ABC) Functional Pain Scale in the Post-Operative Urologic Surgery Patient.

Introduction: The authors investigated a novel functional pain scale, the Activity-Based Checks (ABCs) of Pain, following open urologic surgery. The primary objectives were to establish the strength of the correlation between the ABCs and the numeric rating scale (NRS) and determine the impact of functional pain on the patient's opioid requirements. We hypothesized that ABC score would correlate strongly with NRS and that the ABC score during hospitalization would be more closely correlated with the number of opioids prescribed and used. Methods: This prospective study included patients at a tertiary academic hospital undergoing nephrectomy and cystectomy. The NRS and ABCs were collected pre-operatively, during the inpatient stay, and at the one-week follow-up. Milligrams of morphine equivalents (MMEs) prescribed at discharge and the MME reportedly taken during the first post-operative week were recorded. Spearman's Rho was used to assess the correlation between scale variables. Results: Fifty-seven patients were enrolled. The ABCs correlated strongly with the NRS at baseline and post-operative appointments (r = 0.716, p < 0.001 and 0.643, p < 0.001). Neither the NRS nor the composite ABCs score was predictive of outpatient MME requirements; the ABCs function, "Walking outside the room" significantly correlated to MMEs taken after discharge (r = 0.471, p = 0.011). The greatest predictor of MMEs taken was the number of MMEs prescribed (0.493, p = 0.001). Conclusions: This study highlighted the importance of post-operative pain assessment that takes functional pain into consideration to evaluate pain, inform management decisions, and reduce opiate reliance. It also emphasized the strong relationship between opioids prescribed and opioids consumed.

Factors affecting adherence to intranasal treatment for allergic rhinitis: A qualitative study.

Objective: To determine the facilitators of and barriers to adherence to use of intranasal pharmacotherapy (daily intranasal corticosteroids and/or antihistamine, and nasal saline irrigation [NSI]), for allergic rhinitis (AR). Methods: Patients were recruited from an academic tertiary care rhinology and allergy clinic. Semi-structured interviews were conducted after the initial visit and/or 4-6 weeks following treatment. Transcribed interviews were analyzed using a grounded theory, inductive approach to elucidate themes regarding patient adherence to AR treatment. Results: A total of 32 patients (12 male, 20 female; age 22-78) participated (seven at initial visit, seven at follow-up visit, and 18 at both). Memory triggers, such as linking nasal routine to existing daily activities or medications, were identified by patients as the most helpful strategy for adherence at initial and follow-up visits. Logistical obstacles related to NSI (messy, takes time, etc.) was the most common concept discussed at follow-up. Patients modified the regimen based on side effects experienced or perceived efficacy. Conclusions: Memory triggers help patients adhere to nasal routines. Logistical obstacles related to NSI can deter from use. Health care providers should address both concepts during patient counseling. Nudge-based interventions that incorporate these concepts may help improve adherence to AR treatment. Level of Evidence: 2.

Consumer Wearables for Patient Monitoring in Otolaryngology: A State of the Art Review.

OBJECTIVE: Consumer wearables, such as the Apple Watch or Fitbit devices, have become increasingly commonplace over the past decade. The application of these devices to health care remains an area of significant yet ill-defined promise. This review aims to identify the potential role of consumer wearables for the monitoring of otolaryngology patients. DATA SOURCES: PubMed. REVIEW METHODS: A PubMed search was conducted to identify the use of consumer wearables for the assessment of clinical outcomes relevant to otolaryngology. Articles were included if they described the use of wearables that were designed for continuous wear and were available for consumer purchase in the United States. Articles meeting inclusion criteria were synthesized into a final narrative review. CONCLUSIONS: In the perioperative setting, consumer wearables could facilitate prehabilitation before major surgery and prediction of clinical outcomes. The use of consumer wearables in the inpatient setting could allow for early recognition of parameters suggestive of poor or declining health. The real-time feedback provided by these devices in the remote setting could be incorporated into behavioral interventions to promote patients' engagement with healthy behaviors. Various concerns surrounding the privacy, ownership, and validity of wearable-derived data must be addressed before their widespread adoption in health care. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Understanding how to leverage the wealth of biometric data collected by consumer wearables to improve health outcomes will become a high-impact area of research and clinical care. Well-designed comparative studies that elucidate the value and clinical applicability of these data are needed.

Identifying Olfactory Phenotypes to Differentiate Between COVID-19 Olfactory Dysfunction and Sinonasal Inflammatory Disease.

The objective of this study was to identify specific olfactory phenotypes-patterns of olfactory performance-across distinct cohorts with or without olfactory dysfunction (OD). Adult patients underwent testing via a novel olfactory testing methodology in 1 of 4 groups based on health status: sinonasal inflammatory condition (chronic rhinosinusitis or allergic rhinitis), ≥4 weeks of self-reported OD after resolved COVID-19 infection, Alzheimer's disease, and healthy control. Participants' scores for each scent were normalized on a scale of 0 to 1 relative to their worst and best scores. Agglomerative hierarchal cluster analysis was performed on normalized data for the COVID-19 and sinonasal cohorts. Resulting clusters from the penultimate merger revealed a sensitivity of 81% and specificity of 63% for the detection of patients with COVID-19. These results support that there are olfactory phenotypes that may discriminate COVID-19 OD from sinonasal inflammatory disease. These phenotypes will likely become increasingly leveraged in the workup and treatment of patients with OD.

Olfactory, Auditory, and Vestibular Performance: Multisensory Impairment Is Significantly Associated With Incident Cognitive Impairment.

Background: Dysfunction in the olfactory, auditory, and vestibular systems are commonly seen in aging and are associated with dementia. The impact of sensory loss(es) on cognition is not well understood. Our aim was to assess the relationships between performance on objective multisensory testing and quantify the impact of dysfunction on cognition. Methods: Patients presenting with subjective hearing loss presenting to a tertiary care otologic/audiologic clinic were identified and underwent multisensory testing using the Affordable, Rapid Olfactory Measurement Array (AROMA), pure tone audiometric evaluations, and the Timed "Up and Go" test. Cognitive impairment (CI) was assessed via the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) was also administered. Key Results: 180 patients were enrolled. Thirty one percentage (n = 57) screened positive for cognitive impairment. When evaluating single sensory impairments, we found that olfactory dysfunction, gait impairment, and sensorineural hearing loss were all statistically significantly (p < 0.05) associated with a higher risk of cognitive impairment (ORs 3.89, 3.49, and 2.78, respectively) for CI. Multisensory impairment was significantly associated with cognitive impairment. Subjects with dysfunction in all domains were at the highest risk for cognitive impairment (OR 15.7, p < 0.001) vs. those with impairment in 2 domains (OR 5.32, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Dysfunction of the olfactory, auditory, and vestibular systems is associated with a significantly increased risk of CI. The dramatically increased risk of CI with multisensory dysfunction in all three systems indicated that MSD may synergistically contribute to CI.

Balance Versus Integration: Work-Life Considerations.

The term work-life balance may cause physicians to feel inadequate in pursuing a reality in which work and life each have equal importance. Furthermore, the term implies competition between these 2 realms. Instead, work-life integration is a more constructive and realistic term. Achieving harmonious integration requires self-reflection on the current state, goals, and resources and strategies needed to achieve and maintain such a state. Prioritizing aspects of both, and aligning them with individual requirements, while incorporating consistent and intentional investment of time and efforts in both professional and personal arenas is crucial to cultivate and sustain longitudinal well-being.

Evaluation of the literature surrounding shared decision-making in elective rhinological surgery: A scoping review.

OBJECTIVE: [1] review all studies utilizing SDM in the treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) [2], increase awareness of otolaryngologists to shared decision-making, and [3] provide a framework for its incorporation into research and clinical practice. METHODS: systematic search was performed in November 2019 using PubMed/MEDLINE 1947-, CINAHL Complete 1937-, the Cochrane Library, ClinicalTrials.gov, and Web of Science Core Collection (SCI-EXPANDED, SSCI, A&HCI, ESCI) 1900-. All databases were searched from their inception through the date of search. Studies were eligible if they involved a discussion of SDM in the management of CRS. Studies were excluded if they lacked original patient data or outcomes of interest. Identified studies were screened by title/abstract, followed by full-text review. PRISMA guidelines were strictly followed. RESULTS: in total, 416 articles met screening criteria. Six were eligible for full text review. Only one study - an expert panel of the framework for the presurgical treatment of CRS - pertained to SDM. While this study mentions that SDM is a critically important piece to optimize care quality, it does not directly investigate the effects of SDM in CRS. CONCLUSION: this review represents a significant negative study that identifies a clear gap in the rhinology literature. Despite the recognized importance of SDM, there have been no interventional studies in the literature to investigate SDM in CRS. This review highlights the need for exploring the role of SDM in rhinological surgery, outlines an overview of SDM and its impact on patient outcomes, and provides a proposed framework for incorporating SDM in research and clinical practice.

ABCs of Pain: A Functional Scale Measuring Perioperative Pain in Total Hip Arthroplasty Patients.

INTRODUCTION: Functional pain assessments are critical in total hip arthroplasty. This pilot study investigated a novel functional pain scale-the Activity-Based Checks of Pain (ABCs)-and its correlations with the 0 to 10 numeric rating scale (NRS) and outpatient milligram of morphine equivalents (MMEs) prescribed and needed in the first 2 weeks after total hip arthroplasty. METHODS: ABCs and NRS were collected at the baseline, inpatient, and 2-week follow-up. Primary outcome metrics were needed for pain medication at the time of pain scale completion, MMEs prescribed at discharge, and MMEs taken. Individual ABC functions and composite score were analyzed using Spearman rho and Mann-Whitney U tests. RESULTS: ABC and NRS scores were greatest preoperatively (n = 39). At each stage, the ABCs correlated with the NRS (ρ = 0.450, P < 0.01; ρ = 0.402, P < 0.05; and ρ = 0.563, P < 0.01). ABC or NRS scores did not correlate with MMEs prescribed. Last in-house NRS correlated with MMEs taken postoperatively (r = 0.571, P < 0.01). Specific ABCs functions-"sitting up" (ρ = 0.418, P < 0.01), "walking in room" (ρ = 0.353, P < 0.05), and "walking outside room" (ρ = 0.362, P < 0.05)-on the day of discharge correlated with MMEs taken. CONCLUSION: ABCs scale correlates with NRS. Neither scale correlated with MMEs prescribed at discharge, suggesting pain is undervalued in analgesic planning. Clinicians should assess pain with functions found to correlate with MMEs taken-"sitting up," "walking in room," and "walking outside room."

A Systematic Review of the Neuropathologic Findings of Post-Viral Olfactory Dysfunction: Implications and Novel Insight for the COVID-19 Pandemic.

BACKGROUND: Post-viral olfactory dysfunction is a common cause of both short- and long-term smell alteration. The coronavirus pandemic further highlights the importance of post-viral olfactory dysfunction. Currently, a comprehensive review of the neural mechanism underpinning post-viral olfactory dysfunction is lacking. OBJECTIVES: To synthesize the existing primary literature related to olfactory dysfunction secondary to viral infection, detail the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms, highlight relevance for the current COVID-19 pandemic, and identify high impact areas of future research. METHODS: PubMed and Embase were searched to identify studies reporting primary scientific data on post-viral olfactory dysfunction. Results were supplemented by manual searches. Studies were categorized into animal and human studies for final analysis and summary. RESULTS: A total of 38 animal studies and 7 human studies met inclusion criteria and were analyzed. There was significant variability in study design, experimental model, and outcome measured. Viral effects on the olfactory system varies significantly based on viral substrain but generally include damage or alteration in components of the olfactory epithelium and/or the olfactory bulb. CONCLUSIONS: The mechanism of post-viral olfactory dysfunction is highly complex, virus-dependent, and involves a combination of insults at multiple levels of the olfactory pathway. This will have important implications for future diagnostic and therapeutic developments for patients infected with COVID-19.