Effect of gentamicin and levels of ambient sound on hearing screening outcomes in the neonatal intensive care unit: A pilot study.

OBJECTIVE: Hearing loss rates in infants admitted to neonatal intensive care units (NICU) run at 2-15%, compared to 0.3% in full-term births. The etiology of this difference remains poorly understood. We examined whether the level of ambient sound and/or cumulative gentamicin (an aminoglycoside) exposure affect NICU hearing screening results, as either exposure can cause acquired, permanent hearing loss. We hypothesized that higher levels of ambient sound in the NICU, and/or gentamicin dosing, increase the risk of referral on the distortion product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE) assessments and/or automated auditory brainstem response (AABR) screens. METHODS: This was a prospective pilot outcomes study of 82 infants (<37 weeks gestational age) admitted to the NICU at Oregon Health & Science University. An ER-200D sound pressure level dosimeter was used to collect daily sound exposure in the NICU for each neonate. Gentamicin dosing was also calculated for each infant, including the total daily dose based on body mass (mg/kg/day), as well as the total number of treatment days. DPOAE and AABR assessments were conducted prior to discharge to evaluate hearing status. Exclusion criteria included congenital infections associated with hearing loss, and congenital craniofacial or otologic abnormalities. RESULTS: The mean level of ambient sound was 62.9 dBA (range 51.8-70.6 dBA), greatly exceeding American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommendation of <45.0 dBA. More than 80% of subjects received gentamicin treatment. The referral rate for (i) AABRs, (frequency range: ∼1000-4000 Hz), was 5%; (ii) DPOAEs with a broad F2 frequency range (2063-10031 Hz) was 39%; (iii) DPOAEs with a low-frequency F2 range (<4172 Hz) was 29%, and (iv) DPOAEs with a high-frequency F2 range (>4172 Hz) was 44%. DPOAE referrals were significantly greater for infants receiving >2 days of gentamicin dosing compared to fewer doses (p = 0.004). The effect of sound exposure and gentamicin treatment on hearing could not be determined due to the low number of NICU infants without gentamicin exposure (for control comparisons). CONCLUSION: All infants were exposed to higher levels of ambient sound that substantially exceed AAP guidelines. More referrals were generated by DPOAE assessments than with AABR screens, with significantly more DPOAE referrals with a high-frequency F2 range, consistent with sound- and/or gentamicin-induced cochlear dysfunction. Adding higher frequency DPOAE assessments to existing NICU hearing screening protocols could better identify infants at-risk for ototoxicity.

Modifications to the Butterfly Graft Used to Treat Nasal Obstruction and Assessment of Visibility.

IMPORTANCE: Graft visibility in the supratip region has been the main criticism of the butterfly graft. Because of the graft location, slightly unfavorable supratip fullness can occur, resulting in patient dissatisfaction with the cosmetic result. OBJECTIVE: To describe the clinical outcomes and visibility of the butterfly graft after technique modifications. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: In this retrospective review of adults who had undergone primary or secondary rhinoplasty with butterfly grafting from July 1, 2013, through July 31, 2014, at a tertiary care center at an academic institution, an operative log and photographs were reviewed in an effort to analyze outcomes of butterfly graft use in rhinoplasty. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Nasal obstruction and visibility of the butterfly graft. RESULTS: Thirty-four patients were included in the case series (mean [SD] age, 46 [19.4] years; 23 women and 11 men). The mean (SD) length of the graft was 3.4 (0.5) cm, and the mean (SD) width was 0.9 (0.2) cm. A significant decrease was found in the Nasal Obstruction Symptoms Evaluation score after surgery (mean [SD] preoperative score, 69 [17]; mean [SD] postoperative score, 23 [24]; P < .001). In regard to appearance, 25 patients (74%) rated their appearance as improved or no changes, 6 (18%) as minimally worse, and 1 (3%) as much worse. Fifty-nine observers participated in the masked survey for the study. When the graft was present, observers detected it 59.7% (282 of 472 answers) of the time. When the graft was not present, its presence was suspected 36.5% (237 of 649 answers) of the time. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: The modified butterfly graft is a longer and thinner graft than the originally described butterfly graft. It is still an effective tool in the treatment of nasal obstruction with acceptable visibility. In most cases, it is difficult for health care professionals to identify the presence of the graft. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4.

Effect of sepsis and systemic inflammatory response syndrome on neonatal hearing screening outcomes following gentamicin exposure.

OBJECTIVES: Hearing loss in neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) graduates range from 2% to 15% compared to 0.3% in full-term births, and the etiology of this discrepancy remains unknown. The majority of NICU admissions receive potentially ototoxic aminoglycoside therapy, such as gentamicin, for presumed sepsis. Endotoxemia and inflammation are associated with increased cochlear uptake of aminoglycosides and potentiated ototoxicity in mice. We tested the hypothesis that sepsis or systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) and intravenous gentamicin exposure increases the risk of hearing loss in NICU admissions. METHODS: The Institutional Review Board at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) approved this study design. Two hundred and eight infants met initial criteria, and written, informed consent were obtained from parents or guardians of 103 subjects ultimately enrolled in this study. Prospective data from 91 of the enrolled subjects at OHSU Doernbecher Children's Hospital Neonatal Care Center were processed. Distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs; f2 frequency range: 2063-10,031 Hz) were obtained prior to discharge to assess auditory performance. To pass the DPOAE screen, normal responses in >6 of 10 frequencies in both ears were required; otherwise the subject was considered a "referral" for a diagnostic hearing evaluation after discharge. Cumulative dosing data and diagnosis of neonatal sepsis or SIRS were obtained from OHSU's electronic health record system, and the data processed to obtain risk ratios. RESULTS: Using these DPOAE screening criteria, 36 (39.5%) subjects would be referred. Seventy-four (81%) subjects had intravenous gentamicin exposure. Twenty (22%) had ≥4 days of gentamicin, and 71 (78%) had <4 days. The risk ratio (RR) of referral with ≥4 days of gentamicin was 1.92 (p=0.01). Eighteen subjects had sepsis or met neonatal SIRS criteria, 9 of whom had ≥5 days of gentamicin and a DPOAE referral risk ratio of 2.12 (p=0.02) compared to all other subjects. Combining subjects with either vancomycin or furosemide overlap with gentamicin treatment yielded an almost significant risk ratio (RR=1.77, p=0.05) compared to the rest of the cohort. CONCLUSIONS: We report an increased risk of referral with DPOAE screening for those receiving ≥4 days of intravenous gentamicin administration that may contribute to the greater prevalence of hearing loss in NICU graduates. We propose an expanded prospective study to gather a larger cohort of subjects, identifying those with sepsis or neonatal SIRS, to increase the statistical power of this study design. Subsequent studies also need to obtain follow-up diagnostic audiological data to verify whether the outcomes of DPOAE screening, in addition to the standard AABR screen, is a reliable predictor of permanent hearing loss following gentamicin exposure in the NICU.

Pitch adaptation patterns in bimodal cochlear implant users: over time and after experience.

OBJECTIVES: Pitch plasticity has been observed in Hybrid cochlear implant (CI) users. Does pitch plasticity also occur in bimodal CI users with traditional long-electrode CIs, and is pitch adaptation pattern associated with electrode discrimination or speech recognition performance? The goals of this study were to characterize pitch adaptation patterns in long-electrode CI users, to correlate these patterns with electrode discrimination and speech perception outcomes, and to analyze which subject factors are associated with the different patterns. DESIGN: Electric-to-acoustic pitch matches were obtained in 19 subjects over time from CI activation to at least 12 months after activation, and in a separate group of 18 subjects in a single visit after at least 24 months of CI experience. Audiometric thresholds, electrode discrimination performance, and speech perception scores were also measured. RESULTS: Subjects measured over time had pitch adaptation patterns that fit one of the following categories: (1) "Pitch-adapting," that is, the mismatch between perceived electrode pitch and the corresponding frequency-to-electrode allocations decreased; (2) "Pitch-dropping," that is, the pitches of multiple electrodes dropped and converged to a similar low-pitch; and (3) "Pitch-unchanging," that is, the electrode pitches did not change. Subjects measured after CI experience had a parallel set of adaptation patterns: (1) "Matched-pitch," that is, the electrode pitch was matched to the frequency allocation; (2) "Low-pitch," that is, the pitches of multiple electrodes were all around the lowest frequency allocation; and (3) "Nonmatched-pitch," that is, the pitch patterns were compressed relative to the frequency allocations and did not fit either the matched-pitch or low-pitch categories. Unlike Hybrid CI users which were mostly in the pitch-adapting or matched-pitch category, the majority of bimodal CI users were in the latter two categories, pitch-dropping/low-pitch or pitch-unchanging/nonmatched-pitch. Subjects with pitch-adapting or matched-pitch patterns tended to have better low-frequency thresholds than subjects in the latter categories. Changes in electrode discrimination over time were not associated with changes in pitch differences between electrodes. Reductions in speech perception scores over time showed a weak but nonsignificant association with dropping-pitch patterns. CONCLUSIONS: Bimodal CI users with more residual hearing may have somewhat greater similarity to Hybrid CI users and be more likely to adapt pitch perception to reduce mismatch with the frequencies allocated to the electrodes and the acoustic hearing. In contrast, bimodal CI users with less residual hearing exhibit either no adaptation, or surprisingly, a third pattern in which the pitches of the basal electrodes drop to match the frequency range allocated to the most apical electrode. The lack of association of electrode discrimination changes with pitch changes suggests that electrode discrimination does not depend on perceived pitch differences between electrodes, but rather on some other characteristics such as timbre. In contrast, speech perception may depend more on pitch perception and the ability to distinguish pitch between electrodes, especially since during multielectrode stimulation, cues such as timbre may be less useful for discrimination.

Management of well-differentiated thyroid cancer.

This review provides an overview of current guideline recommendations for the clinical evaluation and surgical management of well-differentiated thyroid cancer, and further examines the evidence for controversial topics such as the minimum degree of primary resection, the role of elective central neck dissection, and the extent of lateral neck dissection. Well-differentiated thyroid cancer comprises the majority of thyroid cancers, about 90%, and includes both papillary and follicular carcinomas. Despite convergence of the medical community in establishing treatment guidelines under the American Thyroid Association, there still remain many areas of disagreement.

Sinogenic orbital and subperiosteal abscesses: microbiology and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus incidence.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the current bacteriology and the incidence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in orbital and subperiosteal abscesses of paranasal sinus disease origin. STUDY DESIGN: Case series with chart review. SETTING: An otolaryngology and ophthalmology specialty hospital. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Fifty-three patients were treated between 1994 and 2008 for orbital or subperiosteal abscess and paranasal sinusitis, confirmed by imaging and surgical intervention; 46 had operative culture specimens and comprise the study cohort. RESULTS: The mean patient age was 28 years; one third were younger than 18. Nearly twice as many patients had subperiosteal (n = 30) as had orbital abscesses (n = 16). In 12 patients (26%), cultures were negative or grew only skin flora contaminants (coagulase-negative staphylococci, diphtheroids, and Propionibacterium acnes). Fifteen patients (33%) grew more than one pathogen. Streptococci were isolated in 17 of the 46 cases (37%), S. aureus in 13 (28.3%), gram-negative bacilli in eight (17.4%), and anaerobes in nine (19.6%). Methicillin-resistant S. aureus accounted for three (23.1%) of the S. aureus isolates and 6.5 percent of the total cases. CONCLUSION: Abscess cultures grew a mixture of bacteria, including gram-positive cocci, gram-negative bacilli, and anaerobes. Although streptococci were the most common genus of bacteria isolated, S. aureus was the single most common pathogen recovered and one fourth of these cases were methicillin-resistant S. aureus. Given the significant morbidity that may result from inadequate treatment, an antibiotic active against methicillin-resistant S. aureus should be included in the initial broad-spectrum antimicrobial treatment regimen of orbital and subperiosteal abscesses of sinusitis origin until culture results are available.

The Coral Reef Aorta: Diagnosis and Treatment Following CT.

The Coral Reef Aorta is a rare phenomenon of extreme calcification in the juxtarenal and suprarenal aorta. The calcifications are often similar in appearance to growths of hyperplastic bone, though abnormalities in serum calcium are not found. [1] In contrast to the typical appearance of atherosclerosis of the great vessels, which follows the curve of the vessel wall, the calcifications of Coral Reef Aorta jut irregularly into the lumen. Consequences may include severe downstream ischemic and embolic events involving the viscera and the lower extremities, as well as endovascular operative complications. In this report we present a case of Coral Reef Aorta in a 73 year old man who experienced renal ischemia and surgical difficulties during attempted stent placement. We propose that preoperative review of vascular imaging with explicit attention to the presence of Coral Reef-like plaques can prevent intraoperative and postoperative morbidity. Furthermore, heightened awareness of the existence of these plaques on routine reads of abdominal CT or vascular imaging may prompt clinicians to enact early prophylaxis against later ischemic events.