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Anthony Abela

Publications and source records attributed to Anthony Abela.

4 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

3-year impact of a provincial choking prevention program.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the impact of a provincial choking prevention program (CPP) on the incidence of aerodigestive foreign body cases among children. METHODS: The CPP, including posters, pamphlets, an informative video, and annual participation in the Parents & Kids Fair, was launched throughout Quebec in October 1999. The incidence rates of aerodigestive foreign body cases prior to implementation (during 1997-1998) and subsequently (2000-2002) within the province and our tertiary care centre (Sainte-Justine Hospital) were compared by estimating incidence rate ratios (IRRs) and associated 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). RESULTS: No significant changes in the incidence of aerodigestive foreign body cases after program implementation were observed in our hospital (age-adjusted IRR 0.92, 95% CI 0.79-1.07). The provincial rates were higher after program implementation (age-adjusted IRR 1.15, 95% CI 1.05-1.25). CONCLUSIONS: To influence choking prevention habits, modifications to the campaign are required. Strategies are discussed.

Airway Obstruction↗
PubMed2005

Subannular ventilation tubes: retrospective study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficiency of a subannular tube insertion technique in a group of pediatric patients with adhesive otitis or severe atelectasis of the tympanic membrane. DESIGN: Retrospective nonrandomized case series. SETTING: Tertiary referral centre. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The main outcomes of this study are tube duration according to the type of tube used, the complication rate, and the audiometric gain associated with this procedure. RESULTS: The study group consisted of 190 patients (316 tubes) aged between 3 and 19 years (average 9 years old) and operated on between 1993 and 1999 by four pediatric otolaryngologists. The average follow-up was 53 months. The tubes remained in place for an average of 21.8 months, with fluoroplastic tubes lasting 17.8 months and Goode T tubes lasting 23.8 months. When used in children between 5 and 9 years of age and in cases of adhesive otitis, Goode T tubes showed statistically significantly better results than fluoroplastic tubes. The complications of this technique were otorrhea (17.7%), perforation (7.9%), a plugged tube (7.0%), and cholesteatoma (1.6%). The 5- to 9-year-old group and the reintervention group of patients showed statistically higher complication rates compared with all other groups. Sixty-four patients (128 tubes) were eligible for audiogram analysis, which showed a gain of 13.4 dB (speech reception threshold). CONCLUSIONS: The technique of subannular tube insertion is a safe and effective method for long-term middle ear ventilation in cases of adhesive otitis or severely atelectatic tympanic membrane or for patients with pathology related to dysfunction of the eustachian tube. It offers an alternative to repeated short-term tube insertions for otitis media with effusion or recurrent acute otitis media.

Adolescent↗