Traum'cast: an online, open-access educational video podcast series for teaching military trauma care to all healthcare providers.

The aim of this paper was to describe the development of 'Traum'cast', an ambitious project to create a high-quality, open-access, 12-week video podcast programme providing evidence-based continuing medical education for civilian and military healthcare practitioners dedicated to the management of trauma caused by weapons of war. The management of such patients became a particular public health issue in France following the 2015 terrorist attacks in Paris, which highlighted the need for all healthcare professionals to have appropriate knowledge and training in such situations. In 2016, the French Health General Direction asked the French Military Medical Service (FMMS) to create a task force and to use its unique and considerable experience to produce high-quality educational material on key themes including war injuries, combat casualty care, triage, damage control surgery, transfusion strategies, psychological injury and rehabilitation. The material was produced by FMMS and first broadcast in French and for free, on the official FMMS YouTube channel in September 2020. Traum'cast provides evidence-based continuing medical education for civilian and military healthcare practitioners. Traum'cast is an educational innovation that meets a public health requirement.

[Conductive hearing loss with a normal eardrum]. / Surdité de transmission à tympan normal.

Conductive hearing loss with a normal eardrum. Conductive hearing loss with a normal eardrum is defined by a hearing loss in in relation to a disturbance in the transmission of sound waves from a normal eardrum to an intact cochlear nerve. The interest in diagnosing these kinds of hearing loss is due on the one hand to their high frequency, on the other hand to the socio-professional repercussions that they can induce and finally to the fact that a large part of them are accessible to surgical treatment or, hearing aid. The CT-scan contributes to the diagnostic orientation and the preoperative assessment. If the pathologies of the middle ear dominate in frequency the possible causes of conductive hearing loss with a normal eardrum, especially otosclerosis, abnormalities of the inner ear, which can be responsible for conductive or mixed hearing loss, have recently listed thanks to advances in modern digital imaging. After a brief anatomical reminder of the tympano-ossicular system, we will deal with their positive, differential and etiological diagnosis.

Surdité de transmission à tympan normal. Les surdités de transmission à tympan normal sont définies par une diminution de la capacité auditive en relation avec une perturbation de transmission de l'onde sonore depuis un tympan normal jusqu'à un nerf cochléaire intègre. L'intérêt de diagnostiquer ces surdités tient d'une part à leur grande fréquence, d'autre part au retentissement socioprofessionnel qu'elles peuvent induire, et enfin au fait qu'une grande partie d'entre elles sont accessibles à un traitement chirurgical, ou à défaut prothétique. La tomodensitométrie contribue à l'orientation diagnostique et au bilan préopératoire. Si les pathologies de l'oreille moyenne dominent en fréquence les causes possibles de surdité de transmission à tympan normal, avec en tête l'otospongiose, des anomalies de l'oreille interne, pouvant être responsables de surdité de transmission ou de surdité mixte, ont été récemment répertoriées grâce aux progrès de l'imagerie numérique moderne.

Presbycusis and Fitness to Fly.

BACKGROUND: When a pilot is referred for presbycusis, his flight fitness may be questionable. The objective of this retrospective study was to describe a case series of presbycusis in a pilot population and to discuss the decisions about their flight waivers.METHODS: There were 19 pilots who were referred to the ENT-Head and Neck Surgery Department of the National Pilot Expertise Center. Their medical files were retrospectively examined.RESULTS: Of the 19 patients, 5 did not obtain flight fitness waivers. Among the 14 who received waivers, 7 had no restrictions on their flight fitness.DISCUSSION: Flight fitness was based on the maximum percentage of speech recognition and the slope of the curve for speech recognition in speech audiometry in noise and the follow-up of these findings. The results made it possible to determine a patient's fitness to fly with a waiver, which may be associated with restrictions. In our series, only 5 pilots out of 19 did not obtain a flight fitness waiver. The few published studies on the resumption of flight for patients who had presbycusis and our experience in France with similar waivers in commercial and military aviation suggest that under certain conditions and after relevant cochlear assessment, presbycusis may allow for a safe pursuit of aviation activity.Ballivet de Régloix S, Genestier L, Maurin O, Marty S, Crambert A, Pons Y. Presbycusis and fitness to fly. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2020; 91(5):403-408.

[Congenital cysts and fistulas on the neck in adults]. / Kystes et fistules congenitaux du cou chez l'adulte.

Cervical congenital malformations are relatively common in children. They can also be found in adults. The embryological development of the cervical region is closely related to the branchial clefts. This must be a diagnosis made by elimination; a cervical tumor must evoke the diagnosis of cancer. A cutaneous fistula or a cervical tumor, chronic or recent appearance in an inflammatory context, are the clinical signs. The thyroglossal duct cysts and the second branchial clefts cysts are the most common causes of median and lateral cervical cysts, respectively. Imaging contributes greatly to the orientation and diagnostic evaluation of the extent of the lesions. Treatment is initially based on antibiotic therapy and then on complete surgical excision, away from an infectious episode, the sole guarantee for the absence of local recurrence.

Risk factors of cancer occurrence after surgery of oral intraepithelial neoplasia: A long-term retrospective study.

OBJECTIVE: Oral intraepithelial neoplasia (OIN) is a premalignant lesion of oral mucosa graded I through III according to the importance of atypic cells and the thickness of the dysplastic layers. The aim of this study was to evaluate the long-term clinical course of OIN lesions and identify predictive factors of outcomes. METHODS: The clinical, surgical, and follow-up data of the patients consecutively treated for OIN by primary surgical removal in a referral anti-cancer center from November 1998 to March 2009 were retrospectively analyzed. The main outcome parameters were the 10-year disease-free survival (DFS), cancer-free survival (CFS), overall survival (OS), and disease-specific survival (DSS) rates (Kaplan-Meier). RESULTS: Thirty-one patients were included. Patients with positive or close margins (n = 15) had a significantly lower 10-year CFS rate (46.7% vs. 92.38%; P = .004) than patients with negative margins. This predictive factor remained significant in multivariate analysis (hazard ratio, 9.157; 95% confidence interval, 1.4-60.6). There was no significant difference in the 10-year DFS (33.3% vs. 48.7%; P = .2), DSS (92.8% vs. 100%; P = .1), and OS (92.8% vs. 69.6%; P = .2) rates between these two groups. Neither the initial OIN grade nor other clinical or surgical parameters were found to be significant predictors of outcomes. CONCLUSION: In this long-term follow-up study on histologically proven OIN treated by primary surgery, positive or close margins status was the only independent predictive factor of progression to cancer. Therefore, we warmly recommand performing re-resection rather than surveillance in cases with positive margins. Oral intraepithelial neoplasia grading or lesion size were not significant predictors of outcomes. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4. Laryngoscope, 2546-2551, 2018.

Early Tympanoplasty Using a Synthetic Biomembrane for Military-Related Blast Induced Large Tympanic Membrane Perforation.

Introduction: Blast injuries in modern warfare are common, and tympanic perforation is often found. Spontaneous closures of large perforations that encompass greater than 80% of the tympanic surface are rare. Early closure of the tympanic membrane avoids the immediate infectious risk, which potentially complicates the initial management of these war-wounded patients, and allows for safe and early recovery of military activity. This study compared the outcomes of spontaneous closures and early biomembrane myringoplasty in subjects with large blast injury-induced tympanic perforation following a massive explosion. Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective, observational, cohort study military troops with large barotraumatic tympanic membrane perforation. The study investigates early surgical tympanoplasty versus observation for spontaneous closure. The hearing loss, tympanic perforation closure rate, and closure time were noted. Results: Fourteen patients (19 ears) were referred from May 2008 to April 2017, and 6 patients (9 ears) underwent early myringoplasty. A total of 89% (n = 8) and 100% (n = 9) of the ears exhibited successful sealing of the perforation at one and 6 mo, respectively. In contrast, 60% (n = 6) of the 10 ears (8 patients) without initial myringoplasty did not heal spontaneously at 6 mo, and these ears underwent a delayed tympanoplasty procedure. Notably, patients with early myringoplasty suffered lower conductive hearing loss and fewer functional signs remotely. Conclusion: Early myringoplasty using a biomembrane for blast injury-induced large tympanic perforation is a fast and minimally invasive method to achieve earlier tympanic closure and a higher closure rate for safe recovery of activity. It can be performed under general anesthesia concurrently with surgery for additional body-wide trauma. The deployment of ENT surgeons on the battlefield in the French Army has enabled early management of these patients.

Retropharyngeal course of the internal carotid artery.

A 77-year-old male patient presented with dysphonia. Endoscopic examination demonstrated a distortion of the posterior pharyngeal wall, which was pulsatile. The axial CT showed left internal carotid artery in a retropharyngeal location. An anomalous course of the carotid artery in the retropharyngeal space is an unusual finding that poses a risk of vascular injury during pharyngeal surgery and intubation. Such an anomaly may be congenital (incomplete descent of the third aortic arch) and may be more pronounced in older patients secondary to atherosclerosis and hypertension as occurred in our case noted here.

Fishbones in the Upper Aerodigestive Tract: A Review of 24 Cases of Adult Patients.

INTRODUCTION: We present a retrospective study series and discussion of the current literature to discuss the management of fishbones in the upper aerodigestive tract. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From January 2013 to July 2016, all patients referred to our referral center because of a fishbone in the upper aerodigestive tract were analysed. RESULTS: Of the 24 patients, 95% of them reported discomfort in the throat. It was noted that 58% of physical examinations and nasofibroscopy results were normal. Ten fishbones were found in the upper aerodigestive tract. They were removed by foreign body forceps or by endoscopy depending on the location. Foreign body-related complications were not observed. Ten patients with no identifiable fishbone had no symptoms after 48 hours. Other patients, including the 10 patients with the fishbone removed, were asymptomatic after 10 days. CONCLUSION: From our experience, we recommend a systematic nasofibroscopy. If it is normal, the patient is assessed at 48h. The complementary investigation by CT scan and/or oesophagoscopy must be reserved in cases of suspicion of oesophageal localization or complication. Otherwise, rigid or flexible endoscopy may be performed when laryngoscopy is unsuccessful or for the treatment of foreign bodies lodged below this area.

[Complications of sinusitis]. / Complications des sinusites.

The complications of sinusitis are essentially secondary to ethmoidal and frontal sinusitis, occurring in patients weakened, particularly in case of immunodeficiency or anatomical defects. The gravity is due to the risk of spreading infection in intracranial tissues and orbital cavity. The diagnosis is always to discuss any symptomatology resistant to treatment and the appearance of orbital or neurological signs. The scanner and MRI contribute greatly to the orientation and diagnostic evaluation of the extent of the lesions. Treatment is based on prolonged antibiotic therapy and surgery and requires a multidisciplinary approach involving ENT, ophthalmologist, neurosurgeon and anesthesiologist resuscitator.

Blast injury of the ear by massive explosion: a review of 41 cases.

BACKGROUND: Blast injuries in modern warfare are common, and the ear is often affected as it is an effective pressure transducer. This study aimed to evaluate military blast injuries of the ear. METHODS: From May 2002 to October 2014, all patients referred to two military hospitals near Paris, France following exposure to massive explosions were analysed. RESULTS: Among the 41 patients (82 ears), 36 of them reported tinnitus, 25 hearing loss, 14 earache and 8 vertigo. It was noted that 44% of the patients had tympanic membrane perforations and that this was bilateral in two-thirds of the cases. The hearing loss in 29% of the cases was pure sensorineural, in 55% it was mixed and in 15% it was a pure conductive hearing loss. There was no correlation between the impact of middle ear lesions and the severity of the inner ear injury. Three patients had a pharyngolaryngeal blast injury detected on the battlefield associated with blast lung injury, but only two of them had tympanic perforations. Nine tympanoplasty procedures were performed, of which 44% succeeded in sealing the perforation. CONCLUSIONS: Blast injuries of the ear are characterised by significant functional signs and are not correlated to otoscopic examinations. Sensorineural hearing loss is almost immediately final. When deciding on initial management, the status of the tympanic membrane does not provide any information about the risk of a primary blast injury of the lung; laryngeal nasofibroscopy seems a more relevant screening test.

Comparison of Penetrating Neck Injury Management in Combat Versus Civilian Trauma: A Review of 55 Cases.

UNLABELLED: The objective was to describe a case series of penetrating neck injuries (PNIs) and compare their management in combat versus civilian trauma. METHODS: From 2012 to 2014, all soldiers and civilians referred to Percy Military Training Hospital for PNI were analyzed. The mechanism of injury, type and site of the lesion, and initial emergency management were noted. RESULTS: Among the 55 patients, 26 were wounded in action, and 29 were civilians. PNIs were commonly stab wounds resulting from an assault. Anatomical zone II, as well as the central neck compartment, was the most affected area. The most affected organ was the larynx. 74% of patients underwent computed tomography angiography (CTA), surgical exploration was performed for 42% of patients, and 33% of patients required intensive care unit monitoring. The differences between the two groups in terms of management were not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: The current management is based on clinical examination and CTA and is similar between soldiers and civilians. Surgical exploration is less commonly used than CTA, which is a fast and accurate method to evaluate PNI for stable patients. The classification by compartment seems more relevant than the classification by anatomical zone, particularly in absence of medical imaging.

Hands-off Time during Automated Chest Compression Device Application in Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest: A Case Series Report.

INTRODUCTION: During out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA), chest compression interruptions or hands-off time (HOT) affect the prognosis. Our aim was to measure HOT due to the application of an automated chest compression device (ACD) by an advanced life support team. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a prospective observational case series report since the introduction of a new method of installing the ACD. Inclusion criteria were patients over 18 years old with OHCA who were treated with an ACD (Lucas 2(TM), Physio-Control). The ACD application was indicated only for OHCA patients transported to a hospital for Extra Corporeal Life Support (ECLS). We recorded the HOT related to switching from manual to mechanical chest compressions. An ACD consists of dorsal and ventral components, which can be installed either in one or in two steps, separated from a chest compression sequence. HOT was expressed as a median number of seconds [interquartile range]. RESULTS: From January 1, 2012 to January 15, 2013, 30 patients were included. In the case of ACD application in one phase (n = 16), the median HOT was 25.3 s [19.8-30.5]. With regard to patients with an ACD application in two phases (n = 14), the median HOT was, respectively, 9.8 s [7.8-17] and 12.4 s [9.5-16.2], that is, a median global HOT of 23.6 s [19-27.6]. HOT was not different between ACD applications in one or two phases (p = 0.52). For a two phase application, the median chest compression time between the two manipulations was 14.2 s [6.4-18]. CONCLUSION: There was no significant difference between techniques in the application of the Lucas 2(TM) device in terms of HOT. The short time needed to apply the device lends itself well to use as a primary chest compression modality during cardiac arrest as well as a bridge to novel resuscitation strategies (ECLS). A further study is currently underway with a larger number of ECLS patients.

[Pathological link between teeth and maxillary sinus] / Relations pathologiques entre dents et sinus maxillaire

Pathological link between teeth and maxillary sinus. Pathological relationship between the teeth and the maxillary sinus can be explained by their embryological and anatomical relationships. The floor is centered by the apex of antral teeth: premolars and first molars. Any dental disease process may have sinus consequences. Dental caries are the best example. Iatrogenic pathology, including preimplant surgery and benign or malignant tumors are also responsible for sinusitis. Therapeutic for every etiology avoids the complications and sequelae whose forensic incidence remains low.

Relations pathologiques entre dents et sinus maxillaire. Les relations pathologiques entre les dents et le sinus maxillaire s'expliquent par leurs nombreux rapports, tant embryologiques qu'anatomiques. La paroi inférieure du sinus est centrée par les apex des dents dites antrales : les prémolaires et les premières molaires. Ainsi, tout processus pathologique dentaire peut avoir des conséquences sinusiennes. La pathologie carieuse en est le meilleur exemple. La pathologie iatrogène, notamment la chirurgie pré-implantaire, ainsi que les tumeurs bénignes ou malignes sont également responsables de sinusites. Une thérapeutique adaptée à chaque cause permet d'éviter les complications et les séquelles.

Otosclerosis and Fitness to Fly.

BACKGROUND: When an aircrew member is referred for otosclerosis, his flight fitness may be questionable. The objective of this retrospective study was to describe a case series of otosclerosis in an aircrew population and to discuss the decisions about their flight waivers. METHODS: There were 27 aircrew members who were referred to the ENT-Head and Neck Surgery Department of the National Pilot Expertise Center. Their medical files were retrospectively examined. RESULTS: Out of 16 patients who had surgery, 2 did not obtain a flight fitness waiver afterwards. Among the 14 who received waivers, 12 had no restrictions on their flight fitness. Among the nonoperated patients, 1 of 11 did not obtain a waiver. Seven patients were declared medically fit to fly without a waiver and three obtained a waiver. DISCUSSION: Fitness was based on auditory and balance statuses and the follow-up of these findings. A postoperative CT-scan and the operative report were used to determine the quality of stapes surgery. Professional speech audiometry in noise might be as interesting. The results made it possible to determine a patient's fitness to fly with a waiver, which is more or less associated with restrictions. In our series, only 3 aircrew members out of 27 did not obtain a flight fitness waiver. The few published studies on the resumption of flight for patients who underwent surgery and our experience in France with similar waivers in commercial and military aviation suggest that under certain conditions and after relevant vestibulocochlear assessment, stapes surgery may allow for a safe recovery of aviation activity.

[Epidemiology, diagnosis and treatment of head and neck cancers]. / Épidémiologie, diagnostic et traitement des cancers ORL.

Cancers of the upper aerodigestive tracts are the fourth most common cancer in France. The main risk factors are smoking and alcohol. They do not necessarily present specific signs, making their early diagnosis difficult. A change in the patient's general condition is a late sign leading to a poor prognosis of the disease.

Maxillofacial gunshot wounds.

The majority of maxillofacial gunshot wounds are caused by suicide attempts. Young men are affected most often. When the lower one-third of the face is involved, airway patency (1.6% of the cases) and hemorrhage control (1.9% of the cases) are the two most urgent complications to monitor and prevent. Spinal fractures are observed with 10% of maxillary injuries and in 20% of orbital injuries. Actions to treat the facial gunshot victim need to be performed, keeping in mind spine immobilization until radiographic imaging is complete and any required spinal stabilization accomplished. Patients should be transported to a trauma center equipped to deal with maxillofacial and neurosurgery because 40% require emergency surgery. The mortality rate of maxillofacial injuries shortly after arrival at a hospital varies from 2.8% to 11.0%. Complications such as hemiparesis or cranial nerve paralysis occur in 20% of survivors. This case has been reported on a victim of four gunshot injuries. One of the gunshots was to the left mandibular ramus and became lodged in the C4 vertebral bone.

Use of a gum elastic bougie in a penetrating neck trauma.

The case of a patient with a zone II penetrating neck injury who was intubated successfully utilizing the gum elastic bougie (GEB) is reported. He presented at a forward operational base in Afghanistan with a shrapnel wound in his neck as well as a cough and hoarseness. There were two wounds on each side of his laryngeal cartilages. The patient's breathing rate gradually increased and labored inhalation developed while the aeromedical evacuation was delayed for tactical reasons. Subcutaneous emphysema and edema concealed the anatomical landmarks, making a cricothyrotomy unsafe, and no fiber optic devices were available on site. Intratracheal intubation was decided upon by the doctors involved. Because of the anticipated difficultly of intubation, the GEB was used from the outset. During direct laryngoscopy, edema, blood, and mucus concealed the anatomic reliefs of the larynx. The glottis was not visible. On the second attempt, "clicks" were clearly perceived and the tube was railroaded over the bougie. Finally, the patient was evacuated to an Afghan military hospital. In this report, the benefit-risk balance for the use of the GEB in penetrating neck trauma is discussed. Although the use of the GEB cannot be recommended in all cases of penetrating neck injury, it should be considered as an option. This technique is not without risk, but in very remote settings or hostile environments, especially when cricothyrotomy is not possible, it can be lifesaving.