Exposure to Spoken Communication During the COVID-19 Pandemic Among Children With Cochlear Implants.

Importance: School closures and other COVID-19-related restrictions could decrease children's exposure to speech during important stages of development. Objective: To assess whether significant decreases in exposure to spoken communication found during the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic among children using cochlear implants are confirmed for a larger cohort of children and were sustained over the first years of the COVID-19 pandemic. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cohort study used datalogs collected from children with cochlear implants during clinical visits to a tertiary pediatric hospital in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, from January 1, 2018, to November 11, 2021. Children with severe to profound hearing loss using cochlear implants were studied because their devices monitored and cataloged levels and types of sounds during hourly use per day (datalogs) and because their hearing and spoken language development was particularly vulnerable to reduced sound exposure. Statistical analyses were conducted between January 2022 and August 2023. Main Outcomes and Measures: Daily hours of sound were captured by the cochlear implant datalogging system and categorized into 6 auditory scene categories, including speech and speech-in-noise. Time exposed to speech was calculated as the sum of daily hours in speech and daily hours in speech-in-noise. Residual hearing in the ear without an implant of children with unilateral cochlear implants was measured by pure tone audiometry. Mixed-model regression analyses revealed main effects with post hoc adjustment of 95% CIs using the Satterthwaite method. Results: Datalogs (n = 2746) from 262 children (137 with simultaneous bilateral cochlear implants [74 boys (54.0%); mean (SD) age, 5.8 (3.5 years)], 38 with sequential bilateral cochlear implants [24 boys (63.2%); mean (SD) age, 9.1 (4.2) years], and 87 with unilateral cochlear implants [40 boys (46.0%); mean (SD) age, 7.9 (4.6) years]) who were preschool aged (n = 103) and school aged (n = 159) before the COVID-19 pandemic were included in analyses. There was a slight increase in use among preschool-aged bilateral cochlear implant users through the pandemic (early pandemic, 1.4 h/d [95% CI, 0.3-2.5 h/d]; late pandemic, 2.3 h/d [95% CI, 0.6-4.0 h/d]) and little change in use among school-aged bilateral cochlear implant users (early pandemic, -0.6 h/d [95% CI, -1.1 to -0.05 h/d]; late pandemic, -0.3 h/d [95% CI, -0.9 to 0.4 h/d]). However, use decreased during the late pandemic period among school-aged children with unilateral cochlear implants (-1.8 h/d [95% CI,-3.0 to -0.6 h/d]), particularly among children with good residual hearing in the ear without an implant. Prior to the pandemic, children were exposed to speech for approximately 50% of the time they used their cochlear implants (preschool-aged children: bilateral cochlear implants, 46.6% [95% CI, 46.5%-47.2%] and unilateral cochlear implants, 52.1% [95% CI, 50.7%-53.5%]; school-aged children: bilateral cochlear implants, 47.6% [95% CI, 46.8%-48.4%] and unilateral cochlear implants, 51.0% [95% CI, 49.4%-52.6%]). School-aged children in both groups experienced significantly decreased speech exposure in the early pandemic period (bilateral cochlear implants, -12.1% [-14.6% to -9.4%]; unilateral cochlear implants, -15.5% [-20.4% to -10.7%]) and late pandemic periods (bilateral cochlear implants, -5.3% [-8.0% to -2.6%]; unilateral cochlear implants, -11.2% [-15.3% to -7.1%]) compared with the prepandemic baseline. Conclusions and Relevance: This cohort study using datalogs from children using cochlear implants suggests that a sustained reduction in children's access to spoken communication was found during more than 2 years of COVID-19 pandemic-related lockdowns and school closures.

Lower trapezius tendon transfer for irreparable rotator cuff injuries: a scoping review.

Background: Rotator cuff tears are a common source of shoulder pain and dysfunction. An irreparable rotator cuff tear poses a particular treatment challenge. There have been few studies reporting the outcomes of lower trapezius tendon (LTT) transfer for irreparable rotator cuff injuries. Therefore, the purpose of this review is to summarize the postoperative functional outcomes and complications of patients undergoing a LTT transfer for massive irreparable rotator cuff injuries. Methods: A scoping review was performed using the Medline, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Google Scholar databases with the search terms "trapezius" AND "transfer." Of 362 studies included for initial screening, 37 full-text citations were reviewed, with 5 studies meeting all the inclusion criteria to be included in the review. Two reviewers extracted data on study design, patient demographics, surgical technique, functional outcomes, range of motion (ROM), and complications for each study according to the predefined criteria. Results: Improvements in the preoperative to postoperative functional status, identified using the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (50.34 to 18), The American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons Score (48.56 to 80.24), Visual Analog Scale (5.8 to 1.89), Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation (34.22 to 69.86), and Subjective Shoulder Value (52.24 to 77.66), were evident across all 5 studies. Preoperative to postoperative increases in ROM were seen for flexion (85 to 135), external rotation (18 to 52), and abduction (50 to 98). The overall complication rate was 18%, with seroma formation (8%) as the most common postoperative complication. Discussion/Conclusion: Our analysis showed that LTT transfer improved postoperative function, ROM, and pain for patients with irreparable rotator cuff tears with an overall complication rate of 18%. Future controlled studies are required to directly compare LTT transfer to other tendon transfers and other surgical techniques for irreparable rotator cuff tears.

Professional Development in Health Sciences: Scoping Review on Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Indigeneity, and Accessibility Interventions.

INTRODUCTION: Equity, diversity, inclusion, indigeneity, and accessibility (EDIIA) are critical considerations in the formation of professional development (PD) programs for health care workers. Improving EDIIA competency in health care serves to enhance patient health, staff confidence and well-being, delivery of care, and the broader health care system. There is a gap in the literature as to the efficacy of EDIIA-based PD programs and their individual components. The present article will review available quantitative data pertaining to EDIIA-based PD programs for health care workers as well as their effectiveness. METHOD: A scoping review of articles published in the EBSCOhost, MEDLINE, PubMed, EMBASE, and CINAHL databases was performed. We used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement. RESULTS: A total of 14,316 references were identified with 361 reaching full-text review. A final 36 articles were included in the scoping review with 6552 total participants (72.9% women; 26.9% men; 0.2% nonbinary). EDIIA-based PD interventions were developed around the topics of culture (n = 22), gender (n = 11), sexual orientation (n = 9), indigeneity (n = 6), race (n = 6), ableism (n = 1), and ageism (n = 1). DISCUSSION: Despite an increased interest in developing EDIIA-based PD curricula for health care workers, there are glaring disparities in the quality of care received by marginalized and equity-seeking populations. The present scoping review delineated key features which were associated with increased quantitative efficacy of EDIIA-based PD training programs. Future work should focus on large-scale implementation and evaluation of these interventions across health care sectors and levels of training.

Cryoablation for the treatment of chronic rhinitis: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: ClariFix is a novel intranasal cryotherapy device developed for clinic-based cryosurgical ablation of the posterior nasal nerves region. As a relatively new technology, there is a paucity of studies within the literature assessing the efficacy and safety profile of ClariFix for chronic rhinitis. METHODS: A systematic review was completed in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. Databases searched included: Ovid Medline, Ovid EMBASE, Pubmed, Cochrane and Web of Science. Inclusion criteria consisted of studies investigating the use of ClariFix in chronic rhinitis (i.e., allergic and non-allergic rhinitis) in patients of all ages. RESULTS: The initial search identified 1110 studies. Final analysis consisted of 8 articles, evaluating a total of 472 patients. The data showed a significant reduction in scores post-treatment across all studies based on validated outcome measures. In all studies, at all time intervals, there was a significant improvement in outcome scores from baseline. Minor adverse effects included post-procedural pain and discomfort, headache and palate numbness. No major adverse events were identified. CONCLUSION: ClariFix is a novel intranasal cryotherapy device that was introduced in Canada in 2021. This is the first systematic review evaluating its efficacy and safety profile. Across all studies, there was a significant reduction in validated outcome scores at multiple time intervals. Further, the treatment is safe with only minor adverse effects reported by patients. Overall, the consensus from this study highlights an apparent benefit in using this intervention for chronic rhinitis that is refractory to medical management.

Approach and Management of Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome in Operative Head and Neck Cancer Patients.

Postoperative head and neck cancer patients are at increased risk for alcohol withdrawal syndrome. Literature has shown that in this patient population, alcohol withdrawal is associated with an increase in postoperative medical and surgical complications, length of hospitalization, and hospital-related costs. Harm reduction and addiction medicine philosophies can reduce morbidity and mortality, but have not been fully validated in perioperative surgical management for head and neck cancer. This commentary synthesizes key principles of addiction medicine and current strategies that Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery surgeons can consider in their perioperative assessment and management of alcohol withdrawal syndrome in their patients.

Terrible triad injuries are no longer terrible! Functional outcomes of terrible triad injuries: a scoping review.

Background: The terrible triad injury (TTI) of the elbow is a combination of a posterolateral dislocation of the elbow joint combined with fractures of the radial head and coronoid process most often caused by a fall on an outstretched hand. The injury pattern was named for its poor outcomes and high complication rates following surgical repair, but increased understanding of elbow anatomy and biomechanics has led to the development of standardized surgical protocols in an attempt to improve outcomes. Most existing literature on terrible triad injuries is from small retrospective cohort studies and surgical techniques to improve outcomes. Therefore, the purpose of this scoping review is to provide an overview of the functional outcomes, prognosis, and complications following current surgical treatment of TTIs. Methods: A scoping review was performed to evaluate the literature. In total, 617 studies were identified and screened by 2 reviewers, with 43 studies included for qualitative analysis. These 43 studies underwent data extraction for functional outcomes using the Mayo Elbow Performance Score (MEPS) and Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand score (DASH) and were stratified accordingly. Secondary outcome measures assessed in the study were a range of motion (ROM) and complication rate. Results: The average MEPS was 90 (excellent) from a total of 37 studies with 1609 patients, and the average DASH score was 16 from 16 studies with 441 patients. Another 6 studies with a total of 127 patients reported a mean Q-DASH score of 13. A total of 39 studies consisting of 1637 patients had a mean forearm rotation of 135 degrees, and 36 studies consisting of 1606 patients had a mean flexion-extension arc of 113 degrees. Among the studies, there was a 30% complication rate with a need for revision surgery in 7.8% of cases. The most common complications were radiographic evidence of heterotopic ossification (11%) and ulnar nerve neuropathy (2.6%). Discussion/Conclusions: This study shows that current surgical treatment for terrible triad injuries has resulted in improved outcomes. Based on primary outcome measures using MEPS and DASH scores, almost all of the studies have highlighted good or excellent functional outcomes. This highlighted the marked improvement in outcome scores since the term was coined, suggesting that terrible triad injuries may no longer be so terrible.

The Hip Labrum Reconstruction: Indications and Outcomes-an Updated Systematic Review.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To present an updated systematic review of the indications and outcomes of open and arthroscopic labral reconstruction. Due to the increasing popularity and recognition, the arthroscopic procedure has gained in recent years, the aim was to assess for changes in indications, graft selection, and improvement in outcomes within the last 5 years. RECENT FINDINGS: A total of nine eligible studies (six case series, one cohort, and two retrospective comparative studies) with a total of 234 patients (265 hips), and an average 12/16 (non-comparative studies) and 20/24 (comparative studies) quality on the MINORS score were included in this review. All patients underwent labral reconstruction, whether as primary surgery or revision (76% vs 24% respectively). There were 244 hips assessed at final follow- up (92%) with a reported mean range of 12 and 61 months. There were more graft variabilities found in this study compared with the previous review (iliotibial band allograft, gracilis tendon autograft, indirect head of rectus femoris autograft, semitendinosus allograft, peroneus brevis allograft, labrum allograft, ligamentum capitus femoris). Surgical approaches differed (open 7.9% (previously 18.7%), arthroscopic 86% (previously 81. 3 %), arthroscopic assisted mini-open technique (AAMOT) (6%)). Overall, improvement was observed in the patient-reported outcomes and functional scores, with variability in their statistical significance. The failure rate or conversion to total hip arthroplasty (THA) decreased compared with the previous review (20% vs 9.5% [conversion to THA was 5.7% and revision surgery rate was 3. 8%]). Indications for labrum reconstruction remained similar (i.e., young, active patients with no or minimal arthritis (Tonnis 0-1), irreparable or ossified labrum, and hypotrophic < 2 mm or dysfunctional hypertrophic labrum > 8 mm). According to recent evidence, hip labrum reconstruction is a new technique that showed short- and mid-term improvement in patient-reported outcomes and functional scores postoperatively. The primary indication for reconstruction remained similar over time. The failure rates and/or conversion to THA appear to have decreased over time. Long-term follow-up with higher quality studies was not available in the literature based on this review. Level of evidence 2.

Pilot randomized controlled trials in the orthopaedic surgery literature: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: The primary objective of this systematic review is to examine the characteristics of pilot randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in the orthopaedic surgery literature, including the proportion framed as feasibility trials and those that lead to definitive RCTs. This review aim to answer the question of whether pilot RCTs lead to definitive RCTs, whilst investigating the quality, feasibility and overall publication trends of orthopaedic pilot trials. METHODS: Pilot RCTs in the orthopaedic literature were identified from three electronic databases (EMBASE, MEDLINE, and Pubmed) searched from database inception to January 2018. Search criteria included the evaluation of at least one orthopaedic surgical intervention, research on humans, and publication in English. Two reviewers independently screened the pool of pilot trials, and conducted a search for corresponding definitive trials. Screened pilot RCTs were assessed for feasibility outcomes related to efficiency, cost, and/or timeliness of a large-scale clinical trial involving a surgical intervention. The quality of the pilot and definitive trials were assessed using the Checklist to Evaluate a Report of a Non-Pharmacological Trial (CLEAR NPT). RESULTS: The initial search for pilot RCTs yielded 3857 titles, of which 49 articles were relevant for this review. 73.5% (36/49) of the orthopaedic pilot RCTs were framed as feasibility trials. Of these, 5 corresponding definitive trials (10.2%) were found, of which four were published and one ongoing. Based on author responses, the lack of a definitive RCT following the pilot trial was attributed to a lack of funding, inadequacies in recruitment, and belief that the pilot RCT sufficiently answered the research question. CONCLUSIONS: Based on this systematic review, most pilot RCTs were characterized as feasibility trials. However, the majority of published pilot RCTs did not lead to definitive trials. This discrepancy was mainly attributed to poor feasibility (e.g. poor recruitment) and lack of funding for an orthopaedic surgical definitive trial. In recent years this discrepancy may be due to researchers saving on time and cost by rolling their pilot patients into the definitive RCT rather than publish a separate pilot trial.