Outcome of Surgery to Improve Swallowing in Patients with Lateral Medullary Syndrome: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

The study investigated surgical interventions to improve dysphagia in patients with lateral medullary syndrome (LMS), along with optimal scheduling of surgery and prognostic factors. In this retrospective, single-center cohort study, dysphagia patients with LMS who underwent surgery between January 2010 and December 2021 were enrolled. The National Outcomes Measurement System (NOMS) was used to classify swallowing function (level 1: only tube feeding, level 5: without tube feeding). Patients were divided into four groups. Groups 1 and 2, LMS onset within 1 year, and groups 3 and 4, onset after 1 year. Groups 1 and 3 had infarctions confined to the oblongata. Groups 2 and 4 had infarctions extending to the cerebellum. The primary outcome was the time to achieve NOMS ≥ 5. The final NOMS level and pathological findings were considered. Nineteen cases were included. Group 4 comprised one case and was excluded. The mean overall preoperative NOMS was 1.11. The mean time to NOMS ≥ 5 was 9.6 months (95% confidence interval: 5.04-14.2), and that to NOMS ≥ 5 was 1.67 (1.07-2.26), 11.4 (4.71-18.1), and 7.6 (5.15-10.1) months for groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Group 1 achieved NOMS ≥ 5 earlier than groups 2 and 3 (P = 0.01 and 0.03, respectively). The overall final NOMS value was 4.68. Fourteen patients had atrophy or fibrosis of the cricopharyngeal muscle. In conclusion, surgery was effective for effective for treating dysphagia in LMS patients. However, improvement is prolonged if > 1 year has passed since onset or the infarction extended to the cerebellum.

Efficacy of High-Dose Corticosteroid Therapy in Acute Stage Severe Facial Palsy in Children.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the efficacy of high-dose corticosteroid for severe acute facial paralysis in children. METHODS: The present study enrolled 10 pediatric patients with House-Brackmann (H-B) Grade VI facial paralysis who received prednisolone (PSL) 3 to 4 mg/kg/d for 2 to 3 days followed by a 10-day taper (the child high-dose group). Eight pediatric patients who received PSL 0.5 to 1 mg/kg/d were enrolled in a child low-dose group, and nine adult patients (25-64 yr) who received a high-dose PSL 200 mg equivalent for 2 to 3 days followed by a 10-day taper were enrolled in an adult high-dose group. On the initial and follow-up visits, facial movements were evaluated using the H-B grading system. The degree of oral-ocular synkinesis was evaluated by the degree of asymmetry in eye-opening width during mouth movements. The synkinesis index was defined as a percentage of the interpalpebral space width ([normal side - affected side]/normal side). RESULTS: The child high-dose group achieved a significantly better H-B score than the child low-dose group ( p < 0.01). The synkinesis index was significantly lower in the child high-dose group than in the child low-dose group or the adult high-dose group ( p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Children receiving PSL 3 to 4 mg/kg/d achieved better recovery and less synkinesis than those treated with low-dose PSL (0.5-1 mg/kg/d).

Prevention of cuff injury of the intubation tube by blunt window opening in tracheostomy.

One of the intraoperative complications of tracheostomy under general anesthesia is cuff injury of the intubation tube. In the present study, we investigated whether a blunt tracheal opening is a useful method to avoid cuff injury. A retrospective cohort study was conducted to examine patients who underwent tracheostomy under general anesthesia at a single institution from January 1, 2017 to July 31, 2021. Electrocautery was used to thin the connective tissue between the tracheal rings, and bluntly open the trachea with mosquito forceps or similar instruments. Primary outcomes included cuff injury rate, number of surgeons involved, and career as otolaryngologist at the time of surgery. The secondary outcome was perioperative complications. Of the 64 cases, 3 had cuff injuries. 2 of the 3 had cuff injuries during the creation of an anteriorly based flap. 16 surgeons were involved ranging from the first to sixth year as an otolaryngologist, with the third year of otolaryngologist being the most common. The median physician year for instructors was 18 years. The most common postoperative complication was granulation in 9 cases. There were no cases of incorrect cannula insertion or difficulty in cannula insertion. A blunt tracheal opening was considered useful as a method to prevent cuff injury.

Outcomes of adenoidectomy with and without tonsillectomy in patients younger than 2 years with moderate to severe upper airway obstruction.

OBJECTIVES: The effectiveness of adenotonsillectomy for obstructive sleep disorder breathing (OSDB) in children under age 2 years is unclear. The present study aimed to identify the perioperative symptoms and clinical outcomes of adenoidectomy and tonsillectomy in very young children. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The present, single-center, retrospective cohort study, conducted from January 2010 to April 2020, enrolled patients under age 2 years with moderate to severe upper airway obstruction who underwent an adenoidectomy or tonsillectomy. The patients were divided according to The Brodsky grading scale into group 1 (Grade 0 to 1 tonsils) or group 2 (Grade 2 or higher tonsils), who received only an adenoidectomy. Group 3 comprised patients with a concomitant adenoidectomy and tonsillectomy. Perioperative symptoms among the groups and the cumulative revision-free status and recurrence-free status rates in groups 1 and 2 were analyzed. RESULTS: Fifty-three patients were enrolled. The median standard deviation score (SDS) for height and weight was -0.79 and -0.31, respectively. No postoperative complications, such as bleeding, were observed. However, two patients underwent intubation preoperatively due to severe obstruction. Seven patients underwent revision surgery. The cumulative revision-free and recurrence-free rates at week 60 were 81% and 100% for Group 1 and 42% and 48.5% for Group 2, respectively. The cumulative revision-free rate and cumulative recurrence-free rate were significantly higher in Group 1 (P < 0.0001; HR: 47.9; 95% CI: 1.12-2050 and P < 0.007; HR: 4.62; 95% CI: 1.37-15.6, respectively). None of the patients in Group 3 had revision surgery or symptom recurrence. CONCLUSION: Simple adenoidectomy in children with large tonsils carries a high risk of revision surgery. However, given the high risk of severe obstruction in very young children with OSDB, timely surgery is recommended. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3.

Incidence and Outcomes of Central Venous Catheter-related Blood Stream Infection in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Routine Clinical Practice Setting.

BACKGROUND: Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) occasionally require central venous catheter (CVC) placement to support a therapeutic plan. Given that CVC can predispose patients to infection, this investigation was undertaken to assess the incidence, risk factors, and outcomes of CVC-related blood stream infection (CRBSI) in patients with IBD during routine clinical practice. METHODS: Data were compiled using retrospective chart reviews of 1367 patients treated at our IBD center between 2007 and 2012 during routine clinical practice. Among the 1367 patients, 314 who had received CVC placements were included. Patients with positive blood culture were considered as "definite" CRBSI, whereas "possible" CRBSI was defined as patients in whom fever alleviated within 48 hours post-CVC without any other infection. Patients' demographic variables including age, body mass index, serum albumin, duration of CVC placement, use of antibiotics, medications for IBD, and perioperative status between CRBSI and non-CRBSI subgroups were compared by applying a multivariate Poisson logistic regression model. RESULTS: Among the 314 patients with CVC placement, there were 83 CRBSI cases (26.4%). The average time to the onset of CRBSI was 22.5 days (range 4-105 days). The jugular vein access was found to be the most serious risk of CRBSI (risk ratio 2.041 versus subclavian vein). All patients with CRBSI fully recovered. CONCLUSIONS: In this investigation, regardless of the patients' demographic features including immunosuppressive therapy, up to 30% of febrile IBD patients with CVC showed CRBSI. It is believed that CVC placement per se is a risk of CRBSI in patients with IBD.