Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Otolaryngology for March 2012. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.
Majority of Children Affected by Allergy-Related Diseases
WEDNESDAY, March 28 (HealthDay News) -- A majority of children have one or more allergy-related diseases, including eczema, asthma, and rhinitis, according to research published in the April issue of Allergy.
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National Survey Describes Cancer-Related Deaths in India
WEDNESDAY, March 28 (HealthDay News) -- Most cancer-related deaths in India occur in those aged 30 to 69 years, with tobacco-related cancers accounting for a considerable proportion of cancer-related deaths, according to a study published online March 28 in The Lancet.
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New Guidelines Issued for Acute Bacterial Rhinosinusitis
THURSDAY, March 22 (HealthDay News) -- As the majority of rhinosinusitis cases are viral, antimicrobial therapy should be initiated after establishment of a clinical diagnosis of bacterial rhinosinusitis, and β-lactam agents are recommended for initial therapy, according to the Infectious Diseases Society of America's first rhinosinusitis guidelines published online March 20 in Clinical Infectious Diseases.
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Health Care Team Members Key for Antimicrobial Stewardship
THURSDAY, March 22 (HealthDay News) -- Antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) that use health care epidemiologists (HEs) and infection preventionists (IPs) have a crucial role to play in the effort to combat health care-associated infections (HAIs), including those caused by multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs), according to the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology and the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America position paper published in the March issue of the American Journal of Infection Control.
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Post-Sleep Apnea Surgery Complications Examined
THURSDAY, March 22 (HealthDay News) -- The overall complication rate of multilevel surgery for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is 7.1 percent, according to research published online March 19 in the Archives of Otolaryngology -- Head & Neck Surgery.
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Alternative Medicine Alleviates Symptoms of Rhinosinusitis
THURSDAY, March 22 (HealthDay News) -- An integrative East-West medicine (IEWM) approach in addition to standard medical treatment improves symptoms and quality of life (QOL) for patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS), according to a pilot study published in the March issue of the Archives of Otolaryngology -- Head & Neck Surgery.
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Survey Describes Docs' Online Professionalism Violations
TUESDAY, March 20 (HealthDay News) -- Most medical licensing authorities receive and act upon reports of physicians' online professionalism violations, according to a research letter published in the March 21 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Antimicrobial Stewardship Saves Millions of Dollars
TUESDAY, March 20 (HealthDay News) -- Antimicrobial stewardship programs save hospitals millions of dollars, according to a study published in the April issue of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology.
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Communication Can Ease Mental Health Burden of Deaf
FRIDAY, March 16 (HealthDay News) -- There is a high prevalence of mental health problems among deaf individuals, with access to care compounded by communication difficulties, according to a review published in the March 17 issue of The Lancet.
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Poorer Health Literacy Linked to Increased Mortality
FRIDAY, March 16 (HealthDay News) -- A considerable proportion of older adults in England have medium or low health literacy, which is associated with increased mortality, according to a study published online March 15 in BMJ.
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Fast-Updosed Subcutaneous Immunotherapy Effective
THURSDAY, March 15 (HealthDay News) -- An immunologically-enhanced subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT) formulation, with an optimized ratio of allergen to adjuvant, induces a significant immunologic response with acceptable safety when injected every three to four days compared with standard weekly injections, according to a study published online March 3 in Allergy.
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Analgesic Use After Surgery Linked to Long-Term Use
THURSDAY, March 15 (HealthDay News) -- Older patients prescribed opioids or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for pain relief after short-stay surgery appear to be at increased risk for becoming long-term analgesic users, according to a study published in the March 12 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
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Personal Mobile Computers Improve Resident Efficiency
WEDNESDAY, March 14 (HealthDay News) -- The use of personal mobile computers (Apple iPads) by internal medicine residents improves efficiency, according to a research letter published in the March 12 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
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Higher Spending by Hospitals Improves Outcomes
TUESDAY, March 13 (HealthDay News) -- Hospitals that are part of the universal health care system in Canada that spend more on inpatient care have lower rates of deaths and hospital readmissions, according to a study published in the March 14 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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U.S. Mortality Rates Dropped 60 Percent From 1935 to 2010
TUESDAY, March 13 (HealthDay News) -- From 1935 to 2010, the death rate in the United States decreased considerably, although the single-year improvements in mortality were often small, according to a March data brief issued by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS).
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Flu Vaccine Up Among Medical Staff When They Believe It Works
FRIDAY, March 9 (HealthDay News) -- Hospital health care workers (HCWs) are more likely to receive the seasonal influenza vaccination if they believe it works and are committed to preventing this highly contagious virus, according to research published in the April issue of Occupational & Environmental Medicine.
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Surrogates Tend to Misinterpret Poor Prognosis Information
FRIDAY, March 9 (HealthDay News) -- Surrogate decision makers for critically ill patients interpret prognostic statements expressing a low risk of death accurately, but interpret statements conveying poor prognosis optimistically, according to a study published in the March 6 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Buprenorphine Maintenance Therapy Not Recommended
THURSDAY, March 8 (HealthDay News) -- Opioid substitution therapy with buprenorphine is not recommended for opioid-addicted health care professionals (HCPs), according to research published in the March issue of the Mayo Clinic Proceedings.
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Financial Burden of Medical Care Affects One in Three
WEDNESDAY, March 7 (HealthDay News) -- In the first half of 2011, one in three individuals was in a family that experienced the financial burden of medical care in the United States, according to the results of the National Health Interview Survey published March 7 by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS).
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Double Gloving Prevents Exposure to Pathogens in OR
WEDNESDAY, March 7 (HealthDay News) -- Double gloving during surgery reduces the risk for transmission of bloodborne pathogens to medical personnel as well as minimizing the transfer of health care-associated infections to patients, according to a study published in the March issue of the AORN Journal.
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Gastroesophageal Reflux Linked to Tooth Surface Loss
TUESDAY, March 6 (HealthDay News) -- Tooth surface loss is significantly greater in individuals with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) than in controls, according to a study published in the March 1 issue of the Journal of the American Dental Association.
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Electronic Test Result Access Does Not Reduce Test Ordering
TUESDAY, March 6 (HealthDay News) -- For office-based physicians, electronic access to patient imaging and laboratory test results does not decrease -- and may actually increase -- the number of diagnostic tests ordered, according to research published in the March issue of Health Affairs.
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Children's Snoring May Predict Behavioral Problems
MONDAY, March 5 (HealthDay News) -- Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) in children during the first years of life appears to be strongly associated with future behavioral problems, according to a study published online March 5 in Pediatrics.
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