Relationship between otolaryngology interest groups and residency match results.

BACKGROUND: Many students have limited exposure to otolaryngology-head and neck surgery (OTOHNS) throughout medical school, limiting recruitment of medical students early in their medical careers. OBJECTIVE: To assess the association between otolaryngology interest groups (OIGs) at medical schools and percentage of students matching into OTOHNS residency programs. To characterize specific aspects of OIGs that may impact the percentage of students matching into OTOHNS residency programs from a given medical school. METHODS: Data was obtained from web searches of 141 accredited U.S. allopathic medical schools to see if they possessed OIGs. Information on the various activities and opportunities that OIGs participated in was collected through medical school websites. 2020 NRMP® match results data were obtained. RESULTS: Web searches found that 73 % (103 out of 141) of U.S. allopathic medical schools have OIGs. Medical schools with OIGs were associated with a 35 % increase in the median percentage of OTOHNS matches (P = 0.022). Of the 103 medical schools with OIGs, 53 % (55) of the schools had information on their websites describing activities and opportunities that their OIGs participate in. OIGs with research and/or mentorship opportunities were associated with increases in OTOHNS matches by 32 % (P = 0.043) and 83 % (P = 0.012), respectively. CONCLUSION: The presence of an OIG at a medical school is associated with an increased percentage of students matching into OTOHNS from that medical school. OIGs that provide research or mentorship opportunities are associated with an increased percentage of students matching into OTOHNS from those medical schools.

Assessing ChatGPT's Responses to Otolaryngology Patient Questions.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to evaluate ChatGPT's performance in addressing real-world otolaryngology patient questions, focusing on accuracy, comprehensiveness, and patient safety, to assess its suitability for integration into healthcare. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted using patient questions from the public online forum Reddit's r/AskDocs, where medical advice is sought from healthcare professionals. Patient questions were input into ChatGPT (GPT-3.5), and responses were reviewed by 5 board-certified otolaryngologists. The evaluation criteria included difficulty, accuracy, comprehensiveness, and bedside manner/empathy. Statistical analysis explored the relationship between patient question characteristics and ChatGPT response scores. Potentially dangerous responses were also identified. RESULTS: Patient questions averaged 224.93 words, while ChatGPT responses were longer at 414.93 words. The accuracy scores for ChatGPT responses were 3.76/5, comprehensiveness scores were 3.59/5, and bedside manner/empathy scores were 4.28/5. Longer patient questions did not correlate with higher response ratings. However, longer ChatGPT responses scored higher in bedside manner/empathy. Higher question difficulty correlated with lower comprehensiveness. Five responses were flagged as potentially dangerous. CONCLUSION: While ChatGPT exhibits promise in addressing otolaryngology patient questions, this study demonstrates its limitations, particularly in accuracy and comprehensiveness. The identification of potentially dangerous responses underscores the need for a cautious approach to AI in medical advice. Responsible integration of AI into healthcare necessitates thorough assessments of model performance and ethical considerations for patient safety.

Demographic disparities in children with retropharyngeal and parapharyngeal abscesses.

PURPOSE: To explore the impact that demographic and socioeconomic factors such as age, gender, race, and insurance status have on the diagnosis of retropharyngeal (RPA) and parapharyngeal abscesses (PPA) in the pediatric population. METHODS: The 2016 HCUP KID was searched for all RPA/PPA discharges using the joint ICD-10 code J39.0. Descriptive statistics, univariate, and multivariate analyses were performed to assess the relationship between demographic factors and their impact on RPA/PPA diagnosis. Results were reported with their corresponding odds ratio with a 95 % confidence interval and p-value. RESULTS: 56.4 per 100,000 weighted discharges were discharged with a diagnosis of a RPA/PPA, the average age was 5.7 years old, with a male predominance. Pediatric discharges diagnosed with a RPA/PPA were less likely to identify as Hispanic or Asian/Island Pacific. They were also less likely to be insured by Medicaid and reside in zip codes with a lower median income. CONCLUSION: The analysis of this national pediatric database demonstrated significant demographic differences in children diagnosed with RPA/PPAs. Following the multivariate analysis, children from a higher socioeconomic background and those with private insurance were more likely to be diagnosed with a RPA/PPAs. However, disparities in children's overall hospital course and complications is a potential area for future research.

Advances in the Use of Hypoglossal Nerve Stimulator in Adolescents With Down Syndrome and Persistent Obstructive Sleep Apnea-A Systematic Review.

INTRODUCTION: The Hypoglossal Nerve Stimulator (HNS) is a novel therapy that has been extensively studied in adults and more recently, it has been incorporated in children with Down Syndrome (DS) with persistent obstructive sleep apnea after adenotonsillectomy and trial of continuous positive airway pressure treatment. This systematic review article aims to examine the existing literature on HNS use in children to explore the benefits, efficacy, and parental experiences. METHODS: MEDLINE, Web of Science and EMBASE were searched to include all studies published up to March 2nd, 2023, on the topic of HNS use in pediatric population under 21 years old. RESULTS: A total of 179 studies were initially identified from which 10 articles were consistent with the inclusion criteria. Nine articles addressed outcomes after implantation of the HNS device in children with DS and 1 article explored the parental experiences. Findings were similar across studies where after implantation of HNS, there was marked improvement in polysomnographic outcomes and quality of life scores with high level of compliance. CONCLUSIONS: HNS holds promise as an effective treatment option for pediatric patients with DS and persistent OSA after AT and CPAP trials. It significantly improves sleep-disordered breathing, quality of life, and neurocognitive measures, leading to substantial and sustained benefits for these children. While the findings are encouraging, further research is needed to explore the potential of HNS in other pediatric populations without DS and to raise awareness among healthcare providers about this treatment option. Overall, HNS may offer significant long-term benefits for the overall well-being and health of pediatric patients with DS and persistent OSA.

A Retrospective Genomic Landscape of 661 Young Adult Glioblastomas Diagnosed Using 2016 WHO Guidelines for Central Nervous System Tumors.

The authors present a cohort of 661 young adult glioblastomas diagnosed using 2016 WHO World Health Organization Classification of Tumors of the Central Nervous System, utilizing comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) to explore their genomic landscape and assess their relationship to currently defined disease entities. This analysis explored variants with evidence of pathogenic function, common copy number variants (CNVs), and several novel fusion events not described in literature. Tumor mutational burden (TMB) mutational signatures, anatomic location, and tumor recurrence are further explored. Using data collected from CGP, unsupervised machine-learning techniques were leveraged to identify 10 genomic classes in previously assigned young adult glioblastomas. The authors relate these molecular classes to current World Health Organization guidelines and reference current literature to give therapeutic and prognostic descriptions where possible.

Strong Job Market for Pathologists: Results From the 2021 College of American Pathologists Practice Leader Survey.

CONTEXT.­: There has long been debate about whether and when there may be a shortage of pathologists in the United States. One way to assess this is to survey the hiring experiences of pathology practices. A 2018 survey revealed a strong demand for pathologists, with expectations of continued strength. This study updates that prior analysis using data from a 2021 survey of pathology practice leaders. OBJECTIVE.­: To assess the US pathologist job market and examine implications. DESIGN.­: We analyzed data from the 2021 College of American Pathologists Practice Leader Survey. This survey queried practice leaders, including regarding the hiring of pathologists, the level of experience being sought, success in filling positions, and expectations for hiring in the next 3 years. RESULTS.­: Among the 375 surveyed practice leaders (about one-third of all US pathology practices), 282 provided information about pathologist hiring in 2021. A total of 157 of these 282 practices (55.7%) sought to hire at least 1 pathologist in 2021, up from 116 of 256 practices (45.3%) in 2017; the mean number of pathologists hired per practice also increased. In 2021, a total of 175 of 385 positions (45.5%) were to fill new positions, compared with 95 of 249 positions (38.2%) in 2017. Most practice leaders were comfortable hiring pathologists with less than 2 years of posttraining experience. Practice leaders anticipated continued strong demand for hiring pathologists during the next 3 years. CONCLUSIONS.­: Our analysis confirms that the demand in pathologist hiring is strong and much increased from 2017. We believe, in combination with other job market indicators, that demand may outstrip the supply of pathologists, which is limited by the number of trainees and has remained constant during the past 20 years.

Features of burnout amongst pathologists: A reassessment.

There has been little rigorous assessment of burnout among pathologists and pathology trainees. Given this relative dearth of relevant literature on pathologist burnout, this report aims to raise awareness of the issue among those working in and around this specialty. Our results are based on a survey given in conjunction with the American Board of Pathology's (ABPath) biennial Continuing Certification (CC) reporting of activities required of diplomates to maintain certification. The survey was voluntary, open to all diplomates participating in CC, and conducted over two consecutive years (2019 and 2020), with alternate years comprising different sets of diplomates. The data are based on 1256 respondents (820 from 2019 to 436 from 2020). The three highest aggregate reported rates of burnout (reported as experienced nearly all of the time, most of the time, or part of the time) occurred when respondents were in their first year of residency training (41.1%) and when they were in (47.6%) and beyond (46.6%) their first three years of practice. We considered this high-low-high, or U-shaped distribution in recollected burnout over time among pathologists a notable finding and investigated its distribution among respondents. Conversely at every point in their training and practice, from half to three-quarters of respondents reported never or infrequently experiencing burnout. This study represents the largest pathologist cohort survey to date about pathologists' burnout. Importantly, especially for those considering pathology as a career, these data are on the low end of the distribution of burnout among specialties for those in practice.

Geographic Diversity Among Otolaryngology Residency Programs.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze geographic trends in the otolaryngology residency match. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study of 116 otolaryngology residency programs, including 1657 residents. SETTING: Internet. PARTICIPANTS: Medical school, undergraduate institution, and hometown of otolaryngology residents in the academic year 2019 to 2020 were recorded from programs' websites. Six military programs and 1 program in Puerto Rico were excluded. RESULTS: Of 1402 residents, 784 (55.9%) and 556 (39.6%) matched in the same region as their medical school for general and specific divisions, respectively. Residency programs in the South, Northeast, and Midwest had significantly more residents who went to medical school in the same division (p-value <0.02). 17.9% (252 of 1402) of residents matched at their same medical institution or an affiliated program, while 34.8% (208 of 597) and 44.8% (268 of 597) of residents matched at a division with no previous affiliation for general and specific divisions, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Programs in the South, Midwest, and Northeast are more likely to have residents who graduated from medical schools in these respective divisions, while programs in the West are more likely to have residents who graduated from medical schools outside this division. Over a third of residents matched at programs in divisions with no previous affiliation. This information may be useful for applicants in deciding on application strategies and for programs seeking to improve their diversity.

Internet and social media research by parents of pediatric otolaryngologic patients.

PURPOSE: Public access to medical information has increased dramatically with the growth and accessibility of the Internet. The goal of this study is to characterize how parents use the Internet to understand and make decisions about their child's otolaryngologic surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A survey was distributed to parents of pediatric patients undergoing otolaryngologic procedures to assess if and how parents gather information about their child's surgery. RESULTS: 105 parents completed the survey. 59.4% of parents gathered online information about their child's surgery. 86% of these parents used Google, 36% used YouTube, 16% used Wikipedia, and 9% used a hospital website. Most searched for general information about the surgery, followed by risks, pain/recovery, and specifics about the surgery. 69% reported that the information found influenced the healthcare decisions they made for their child. 86% felt the information was trustworthy. 21% discussed the information with their child's surgeon. 17% gathered information about their child's surgeon, of which 73% were interested in the surgeon's experience. 69% reported this influenced their choice of surgeon. CONCLUSIONS: Most parents of pediatric otolaryngologic patients use the Internet to gather information about their child's surgery, view that information as accurate, and use that information to make healthcare decisions. However, less than one quarter of parents discuss the information with their child's surgeon. It is critical to understand how parents use the Internet for healthcare information so otolaryngologists can better direct their patients' parents to appropriate and accurate resources.

Opioid use in pediatric otolaryngologic surgery: A survey of caregivers' attitudes.

OBJECTIVE: Given the current opioid epidemic and the fact that children continue to be undertreated for pain following surgeries, it is important to understand care-givers' attitudes toward post-operative opioid use. DESIGN: A survey was distributed to caregivers of pediatric patients undergoing otolaryngologic procedures. SETTING: An academic hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. PARTICIPANTS: Sixty-eight caregivers completed the survey. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Caregiver attitudes toward post-operative opioid use. RESULTS: The study results are as follows: 38.1 percent of parents stated they would feel comfortable giving their child opioids post-operatively, 30.2 percent would not feel comfortable, and 31.7 percent were unsure. For every increase in 1 year of age of the child, there was an increase in the odds of a parent being comfortable giving opioids. Caregivers who had taken opioids in the past were more likely to feel comfortable, while those who were employed were less likely to feel comfortable. The most common reason reported for not feeling comfortable was addiction potential. The comfort level did not differ based on the caregivers' education level, income, race, or language. CONCLUSION: The majority of caregivers are unsure about or do not feel comfortable giving their child opioids post-operatively. Most are specifically concerned about the risk of addiction. Understanding caregivers' views on opioids in a diverse patient population is essential, so surgeons can counsel caregivers and provide appropriate post-operative pain management in their patients.

The Relationship Between Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Pediatric Obesity: A Nationwide Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Pediatric obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) can have both acute and chronic consequences when untreated. We hypothesize that a link exists between childhood obesity and OSA at nationwide level, with race, gender, and socioeconomic status conferring their own risk for pediatric OSA. METHODS: This study examined nationwide discharges in 2016 using the Kids' Inpatient Database (KID). The International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) codes for obesity (E66.0) and OSA (G47.33) were used. Prevalence rates and odds ratios (ORs) were used to quantify associations between the obesity and OSA groups in the general pediatric inpatient population. Multiple binary logistic regression was utilized to compare cohorts of pediatric inpatient admissions. RESULTS: There were 36 266 285 weighted discharges in the 2016 KID. Among patients included in our dataset, 0.426% (26 684) were diagnosed with obesity and 0.562% (35 242) had OSA. Obesity was independently associated with a significantly increased risk of OSA (OR = 22.89; 95% C.I. = 21.99-23.84). Within the OSA inpatient population, obesity was associated with non-Hispanic black race, Hispanic ethnicity, and Native American race/ethnicity (OR = 1.45, 1.32, 2.51; 95% C.I. = 1.33-1.58, 1.21-1.44, 1.73-3.63). CONCLUSIONS: Obesity is independently associated with OSA in children after controlling for adenotonsillar hypertrophy. Non-Hispanic black race and Hispanic ethnicity are independent risk factors for OSA and are associated with obesity in the OSA inpatient population, which suggests that obesity may play a role in the increased risk of OSA within these groups.

Assessing Loss to Follow-up After Newborn Hearing Screening in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: Sociodemographic Factors That Affect Completion of Initial Audiological Evaluation.

OBJECTIVES: Neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) patients are at high risk for congenital hearing loss. Previous studies have found sociodemographic factors associated with loss to follow-up for newborn hearing screening, but none have specifically studied the NICU population. Our objective is to determine if demographics and socioeconomic status is associated with loss to follow-up in a newborn population with extended NICU stay. DESIGN: A retrospective cohort study was conducted on 443 NICU infants with extended NICU stay utilizing data extracted from infant and maternal medical records at an urban safety-net hospital. RESULTS: Younger maternal age (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 0.95, confidence interval [CI] 0.91 to 0.99), higher gravidity (adjusted OR 1.39, CI 1.12 to 1.72), and former smoking status (adjusted OR 2.57, CI 1.07-6.18) were identified as independent predictors of loss to follow-up for NHS after conducting a multivariable logistic regression. Demographic and socioeconomic variables, such as sex, parity, birth weight, mode of birth, highest level of maternal education, maternal race/ethnicity, zip code metrics, and maternal language were not found to be associated with loss to follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Maternal age, gravidity, and smoking status are risk factors for loss to follow-up for NHS in newborns with extended NICU stay, a group at high risk for hearing loss. Our findings demonstrate that socioeconomic and demographic factors for loss to follow-up in the extended-stay NICU population are distinct from the well-baby population. Further investigation of these patients will allow prioritization of limited resources to subgroups within the extended-stay NICU population at risk for loss to follow-up for newborn hearing screening.

Severe Versus Very Severe Pediatric Obstructive Sleep Apnea Outcomes After Adenotonsillectomy.

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: Adenotonsillectomy (AT) is generally considered the first line treatment for pediatric patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Pediatric patients with severe OSA have worse outcomes after AT than patients with milder OSA. It is currently unclear if this group of higher morbidity patients should be subdivided further. This study investigates patients with severe pediatric OSA to determine if there are differences in postsurgical outcomes based on initial severity of sleep disordered breathing, medical comorbidities, or demographic factors. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study at a single tertiary referral center. METHODS: Patients aged 2-18 who underwent polysomnogram (PSG) from October 2012 to January 2019, had an apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) >10, and subsequently underwent AT were identified using a filter through electronic medical record. A total of 112 patients underwent both pre- and postoperative PSG. Bivariate analysis was conducted via Pearson chi-square test. Univariate and multivariate analyses via binary logistic and multinomial linear regressions were performed using SPSS. RESULTS: Of the 112 patients included in this study, 68 patients were identified as having severe OSA (AHI = 10-20) and 44 as having very severe OSA (AHI > 20). Very severe OSA patients were significantly less likely to be cured of sleep disordered breathing or have their OSA reduced to mild OSA. Obese patients were found to have less reduction in AHI after AT. CONCLUSIONS: The postsurgical outcomes of patients with severe and very severe OSA are significantly different indicating that patients traditionally categorized as having severe OSA may need to be further subcategorized. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4 Laryngoscope, 132:1855-1860, 2022.

Parental Views on the Role of Social Media in Pediatric Otolaryngology.

OBJECTIVE: Social media is playing an increasingly important role in medicine as a tool for patients and their families to find information and connect with others. The goal of this study is to understand parental views on if and how social media should be incorporated into pediatric otolaryngology by physicians and hospitals. METHODS: A survey was distributed to parents of pediatric otolaryngologic patients to assess views on professional social media use by physicians and hospitals. The proportion of parents who answered with specific responses in the survey was computed using the SPSS frequency analysis function. RESULTS: One hundred five parents completed the survey. Ninety-six percent of respondents use social media, of which 92% use social media at least once a day (n = 93). Eighty-five percent of respondents said they definitely or probably would visit their physician's professional social media page (n = 90). Seventy-four percent would be interested in obtaining more information about the physician (n = 76). Forty-one percent would be interested in patient stories (n = 76). Twenty-eight percent would visit out of curiosity (n = 76). Twenty-six percent would want to gather more information about the hospital (n = 76). Seventeen percent would want to connect with other patients and their family members (n = 76). Sixty-seven percent of respondents believe it is important for physicians to have a professional social media page, and 79% of respondents believe it is important for hospitals to have a public social media page (n = 93). CONCLUSION: The vast majority of parents of pediatric otolaryngologic patients use social media regularly and would want to gather information about their physician and hospital through social media. Therefore, physicians and hospitals should consider using social media as a valuable tool to connect with and relay information to patients and their family members.

Landscape of Biomarkers in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Using Comprehensive Genomic Profiling and PD-L1 Immunohistochemistry.

Comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) are important biomarker tools used for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) given the expanding number of standard-of-care therapies that require companion diagnostic testing. We examined 9450 NSCLC real-world patient samples that underwent both CGP and programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) IHC to understand the biomarker landscape in this patient cohort. By assessing National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN)-recommended biomarkers including genomic alterations, tumor mutational burden (≥10 mutations/Mb cut-off), and PD-L1 expression (Tumor Proportion Score (TPS) ≥ 50% cut-off), we show that CGP + PD-L1 IHC yielded potentially actionable results for 70.5% of the 9,450 patients with NSCLC. Among the remaining 29.5% (2,789/9,450) of patients, 86.7% (2,419/2,789) were potentially eligible for another biomarker-associated therapy and/or clinical trial based on their genomic profile. In addition, in the PD-L1TPS≥50% disease subset, BRAF mutations, MET mutations, MET amplifications, and KRAS mutations were significantly enriched; and in the PD-L1TPS<50%, EGFR mutations, ERBB2 mutations, STK11 mutations, and KEAP1 mutations were enriched. These findings highlight the improved clinical utility of combining CGP with IHC to expand the biomarker-guided therapeutic options available for patients with NSCLC, relative to single biomarker testing alone.

Evidence-Based Alignment of Pathology Residency With Practice II: Findings and Implications.

This article presents findings from a 4-year series of surveys of new-in-practice pathologists, and a survey of physician employers of new pathologists, assessing how pathology graduate medical education prepares its graduates for practice. Using the methodology described in our previous study, we develop evidence for the importance of residency training for various practice areas, comparing findings over different practice settings, sizes, and lengths of time in practice. The principal findings are (1) while new-in-practice pathologists and their employers report residency generally prepared them well for practice, some areas-billing and coding, laboratory management, molecular pathology, and pathology informatics-consistently were identified as being important in practice but inadequately prepared for in residency; (2) other areas-autopsy pathology, and subspecialized apheresis and blood donor center blood banking services-consistently were identified as relatively unimportant in practice and excessively prepared for in residency; (3) the notion of a single comprehensive model for categorical training in residency is challenged by the disparity between broad general practice in some settings and narrower subspecialty practice in others; and (4) the need for preparation in some areas evolves during practice, raising questions about the appropriate mode and circumstance for training in these areas. The implications of these findings range from rebalancing the emphasis among practice areas in residency, to reconsidering the structure of graduate medical education in pathology to meet present and evolving future practice needs.

The utility of ThyroSeq® in the management of indeterminate thyroid nodules by fine-needle aspiration.

OBJECTIVE: We aim to evaluate the impact of ThyroSeq® in the management of indeterminate thyroid nodules (ITN), including Bethesda III and IV nodules. METHODS: ITNs that underwent ThyroSeq testing between 2016 and 2019 were retrospectively reviewed. A control cohort included ITNs without molecular testing. Cytological, molecular, and histological data were collected. RESULTS: We identified 202 ITNs that underwent molecular testing (128 in Bethesda III and 74 in Bethesda IV). Mutations were found in 58 nodules with mutation rates of 21.9% in Bethesda III and 40.5% in Bethesda IV. In this cohort, 49 cases had surgical resection with a resection rate of 24.3% (49/202, 15.6% in Bethesda III and 39.2% in Bethesda IV). Among the resected cases, 42 cases had positive molecular results. Thyroid cancer was diagnosed in 21 nodules with a malignancy detection rate of 10.4%. In the other cohort, we identified 236 ITNs (158 in Bethesda III and 78 in Bethesda IV). Surgical resection was performed in 127 cases, with a resection rate of 53.8% (127/236, 46.2% in Bethesda III and 69.2% in Bethesda IV). Thyroid cancer was diagnosed in 21 nodules, with a malignancy detection rate of 8.9%. The risk of malignancy (ROM) recalculated based on positive ThyroSeq results was significantly higher (21.4%-35.5% in Bethesda III and 50%-60% in Bethesda IV) than that without molecular testing (4.4%-9.6% in Bethesda III and 17.9%-25.9% in Bethesda IV). CONCLUSION: We concluded that ThyroSeq significantly decreased the surgical resection rate (from 53.8% to 24.3%) without significantly affecting the malignancy detection rate in ITNs. Furthermore, positive molecular testing significantly increased ROM in ITNs. We believe that the recalculated ROM should be incorporated into the management of ITNs.

Prematurity: A Prognostic Factor for Increased Severity of Pediatric Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

OBJECTIVE/HYPOTHESIS: Studies have suggested preterm birth, defined as gestational age (GA) <37 weeks, is a risk factor for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in later childhood. However, little is known about the characteristics, severity, and degree of intervention of childhood OSA in former preterm infants compared to term infants. This study compares polysomnographic characteristics and surgical interventions in former preterm and term infants presenting with sleep disordered breathing. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study from 2015 to 2019 at a single tertiary referral center. METHODS: Electronic Medical Records of pediatric patients ages 0 to 18 presenting with sleep disordered breathing were reviewed for gestational age, polysomnographic findings, clinical characteristics, and OSA surgical interventions. Association between gestational age, polysomnographic characteristics, and surgical interventions for OSA were reported. RESULTS: A total of 615 patient records were analyzed. Adjusting for covariates, prematurity was associated with a 2.97× higher likelihood of development of severe OSA (aOR (95%CI): 2.97 (1.40-6.32)), increased apneic-hypoxic index (AHI) (mean (SD): 6.5 (9.8) vs. 4.6 (6.4), P < .05), increased end tidal CO2 (50.5 (5.11) vs. 48.5 (5.8), P < .05), decreased REM latency (116 (64.7) vs. 132.4 (69.9), P < .05), and increased number of surgeries for OSA (0.65 (.95) vs. 0.45 (0.69), P < .05) compared to children born at term. Children born with GA < 32 weeks presented at a significantly later age with sleep disordered breathing (7.04 (.80) vs. 5.1 (0.15), P < .05) than children born at term. CONCLUSIONS: Prematurity was associated with increased likelihood of severe OSA, increased AHI, as well as increased number of surgical interventions for OSA compared to children born at term. These results suggest an association with preterm birth and increased severity of childhood OSA. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3 Laryngoscope, 131:1909-1914, 2021.

Predictors of a Normal Sleep Study in Healthy Children with Sleep Disordered Breathing Symptoms.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence and characteristics of children with normal elective polysomnography for obstructive sleep disordered breathing (oSDB) based on the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS) guidelines. STUDY DESIGN: In this retrospective cohort study, we identified patients ages 2 to 18 who underwent diagnostic polysomnography (PSG) ordered by our otolaryngology department for SDB between 2012 and 2018. SETTING: All patients were seen by otolaryngologists at an urban tertiary safety net hospital. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: There were a total of 456 patients studied (average age 5.66 ± 3.19; 263 (57.7%) males, 193 (42.3%) females. Demographic factors (age, gender, race, ethnicity, language, insurance status) and clinical findings (symptom severity, tonsil size) were recorded. The data were analyzed by univariate and multivariate analysis. RESULTS: Two hundred four patients (44.7%) had no obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) based on AHI<2 on PSG. Children with a larger tonsil size had 3.18 times the odds of OSA compared to those with a medium tonsil size (95% CI 1.64, 6.19) when adjusting for symptoms, age category, and race (P = .0007). Children ages 4 to 6 years had 0.25 times the odds of OSA compared to those ages 2-3 years (95% CI 0.12, 1.54) when adjusting for symptoms, tonsil size, and race (P = .0011). White children had 0.28 times the odds of OSA compared to Black children (95% CI 0.14, 0.57) when adjusting for symptoms, tonsil size, and age category (P = .0004). CONCLUSION: Among our patient population, 44.7% had normal sleep studies. Younger children (ages 2-3) were less likely to have normal polysomnography. This research demonstrates that obtaining sleep studies in otherwise healthy children with SDB can affect management decisions, and they should be discussed with families with a focus on patient centered decision making.

Assessing the Educational Quality of Facebook Videos as an Informative Resource on Otitis Media.

OBJECTIVE: This study analyzes the quality and reliability of otitis media (OM) videos on Facebook and investigates whether the videos shared within the Facebook community are considered to be a valuable educational tool. The results of this study are important for providing clinicians with the necessary understanding about the video content that their patients may be exposed to. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional analysis of video content. SETTING: A new Facebook account was created to carry out a search for videos on OM. METHODS: Inclusion criteria were as follows: videos intended for educating patients or guardians on OM, videos in the English language, and videos with at least 1 share. RESULTS: A total of 364 videos were screened, and 62 fit our inclusion criteria for analysis. The majority (56%) of OM videos on Facebook focused on complementary and alternative medication without mentioning any current guidelines. A limited amount of videos (29%) made any mention to surgical treatment options for OM. There was a strong positive correlation (rho = 0.8419, P < .001) between a video's content and its reliability. There was no correlation seen between a video's content and its shares (rho = -0.142, P = .1359). CONCLUSIONS: The majority of OM videos on Facebook are inadequate for educational value. Clinicians should know about the existence of videos on OM and the quality of information that parents are exposed to.