PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

R E Gliklich

Publications and source records attributed to R E Gliklich.

13 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1996

A contemporary analysis of acute mastoiditis.

BACKGROUND: Acute mastoiditis persists as a serious infection despite a dramatic decline in incidence coincident with the introduction of antibiotic therapy. OBJECTIVE: To assist the contemporary practitioner in the recognition and management of acute mastoiditis through the assessment of a large series of patients. DESIGN: Retrospective case series comprising 124 patients with acute mastoiditis. SETTING: Pediatric and adult otology referral center. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Selected clinical parameters. Risk factors for necessity of surgical intervention and for increased length of hospitalization were analyzed by a stepwise logistic regression model. RESULTS: A history of antecedent acute otitis media was absent in 45% of patients. Pain (98%) was the most common presenting symptom. Physical signs included an abnormal-appearing tympanic membrane (88%), fever (83%), a narrowed external auditory canal (80%), and postauricular edema (76%). Streptococcus pneumoniae was the most commonly isolated organism. Mastoid surgery was required in 62% of the patients. An elevated white blood cell count (relative risk [RR], 7.4; P < .01), proptosis of the auricle (RR, 4.5; P = .03), and fever on admission (RR, 7.3; P = .05) were risk factors for surgical intervention. All 33 patients with complications (27%) proceeded to surgical intervention. The average length of hospital stay was 7.9 days. The strongest predictor for an increased length of hospital stay was whether the patient required surgery (RR, 3.7; P = .002). CONCLUSIONS: Acute mastoiditis remains a potentially serious otologic infection. Not all patients present with a classic history or physical examination. Therapeutic mastoidectomy is often required.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1996

Endoscopic treatment of sphenoid sinusitis.

Juxtaposed between the posterior nasal cavity and skull base, the diseased sphenoid sinus presents unique challenges when surgical drainage is required. Endoscopic techniques have gained widespread popularity for the treatment of sphenoid sinusitis, yet the efficacy of such treatment remains largely unknown. Thirty-four patients who underwent endoscopic sphenoidotomy were monitored over a period of 6 months to 5 years. Surgery was performed with the superior turbinate used as the key landmark for identification and enlargement of the natural sphenoid ostium. Surgical access was through either a transnasal or transethmoid approach, depending on whether disease was limited to the sphenoid sinus. Prospective analysis of 26 patients with established outcome measures demonstrated a significant reduction in facial pain, nasal drainage, and congestion 6 months after surgery (p < 0.0001). Medication use was also reduced but to a lesser extent (p < 0.05). Endoscopic sphenoidotomy appears to be a safe technique that effectively reduces patient morbidity associated with sphenoid sinusitis.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

The use of calvarial bone in nasal reconstruction.

OBJECTIVE: To demonstrate the utility of calvarial bone as a primary graft choice in nasal reconstruction. DESIGN: Case series. SETTING: Academic tertiary care center. PATTERN: Thirty-five consecutive patients who underwent split calvarial bone grafting to the nasal dorsum between June 1988 and September 1993 and who had post-operative follow-up. OUTCOME MEASURES: Serial clinical examination to assess volume loss, movement of the graft, and complications. Standardized photographs to assess nasal contour. RESULTS: Fixation of the graft was accomplished using a technique that promotes bone-to-bone healing without fixation screws or wires. The most common complication was seroma or hematoma of the scalp (8%). There were no dural tears or intracranial complications. Long-term donor site morbidity consisted of one case of local alopecia (2.8%). A good nasal contour was achieved in 97% of patients. CONCLUSION: Based on the experimental evidence reviewed and our clinical experience, split calvarial bone is recommended as a material of choice for nasal dorsal reconstruction.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

The risk of nasal osteotomies after ethmoid sinus surgery.

OBJECTIVE: To assess whether there is an increased risk of osteotomies causing fractures that extend into the orbit or cranial base in patients who undergo ethmoid sinus surgery. DESIGN: Anatomic investigation in a cadaver model. METHODS: Twenty-eight medial and lateral osteotomies were performed in 14 fresh-frozen cadaver heads after bilateral sphenoethmoidectomies (endoscopic technique, n = 26; external technique, n = 2). Anatomic examination performed by inspection after removal of dorsal nasal skin followed by rigid endoscopic intranasal examination. RESULTS: Complete osteotomies were obtained in every case. There were no major comminutions along the osteotomies, but there was a 25% rate of minor comminutions. In no case did fractures extend into either the orbit or the base of the skull. In every case, the path of the osteotome was separated from the ethmoid surgical cavity by a relatively thick buttress of bone composed of the anterior lacrimal crest and the ascending process of the maxilla. The enlarged maxillary ostia created by the sinus surgery was not altered by the osteotomies or by dorsal narrowing. CONCLUSIONS: Nasal osteotomies can be performed with minimal risk of comminution or uncontrolled extension of the fracture lines following extensive ethmoid and sphenoid sinus surgery. These findings may not apply in patients with preexisting injuries or when osteotomies do not preserve the triangular nasal buttress.

Cadaver↗
PubMed1995

Longitudinal sensitivity of generic and specific health measures in chronic sinusitis.

The utility of reliable health measures for longitudinal studies in chronic sinusitis depends on their ability to detect clinically relevant change. Sixty-three patients with chronic sinusitis were evaluated before and three months after ethmoid sinus surgery using the Chronic Sinusitis Survey (CSS) and the generic Short-Form 36-Item Health Survey (SF-36). Statistically significant improvement was found for several SF-36 subscales including physical functioning, role functioning-physical, bodily pain, vitality and all CSS subscales. However, the differences between the instruments in longitudinal sensitivity to change as measured by standardized response means (SRM) and effect sizes (ES) were large. For the SF-36, sensitivity to change ranged from minimal to small (SRM: 0.01-0.43; ES: 0.01-0.52) with bodily pain and role functioning-physical scores most sensitive. For the CSS, sensitivity to change ranged from moderate to large (SRM: 0.56-0.82; ES: 0.48-1.12) with symptom-based and total index scores most sensitive. Despite this, the SF-36 yielded useful information concerning the relative burden of chronic sinusitis and failure of these patients to achieve normal levels of general health 3 months after sinus surgery. We conclude that the disease-specific CSS was more sensitive to change than the SF-36 survey in patients following ethmoid sinus surgery.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Endoscopic orbital decompression under local anesthesia.

Orbital decompression for Graves' disease has traditionally been performed with the patient under general anesthesia. Endoscopic instrumentation allows for removal of the medial orbital wall and floor through an intranasal approach with local anesthetic techniques. Twelve endoscopic orbital decompressions were performed on awake patients with uncovered eyes so that vision could be monitored throughout the procedure. Simultaneous lateral decompressions were performed in 11 cases. No intraoperative or postoperative complications occurred. Visual acuity remained stable or improved in all cases. Proptosis was reduced an average of 5.5 +/- 1.6 mm. In a comparable series of 29 endoscopic decompressions performed with patients under general anesthesia, proptosis was reduced an average of 4.8 +/- 2.0 mm. Endoscopic orbital decompression with patients under local anesthesia appears to be an effective technique that may provide an additional margin of safety in prevention of injury to the optic nerve.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

The health impact of chronic sinusitis in patients seeking otolaryngologic care.

Although chronic sinusitis is an increasingly common diagnosis in the United States, the health burden of this disorder relative to the general population and to other chronic diseases has not been previously evaluated. One hundred fifty-eight patients with chronic sinusitis and no prior surgery underwent cross-sectional evaluation by use of the Medical Outcome Study Short-form 36-Item Health Survey. These patients were all referred for otolaryngologic care, and more than 80% subsequently underwent sinus surgery. Mean scores were compared from the eight subscales of general health assessment with similarly derived data for the United States general population. Significant differences (p < 0.05) were seen in several domains, including bodily pain, general health, vitality, and social functioning. Comparisons with other chronic diseases revealed significantly lower scores (p < 0.05) in measures of bodily pain and social functioning for sinusitis patients than in patients with congestive heart failure, angina, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and back pain. These findings suggest that the national health impact of chronic sinusitis is far greater than is currently appreciated.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Failure to clinically predict NICU hearing loss.

Neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) survivors demonstrate handicapping sensorineural hearing loss up to 50 times more frequently than normal newborns, yet little is known about the etiology of the hearing loss. Theoretically, accurate identification and triage of a particular infant based on a clinical profile would be useful. Forty NICU graduates of The Massachusetts General Hospital were selected for a detailed retrospective chart review evaluating prenatal, perinatal, and NICU medical conditions and treatment. Twenty-three patients identified with hearing loss and 17 infants with normal hearing were compared clinically. Univariate and multivariate analysis was performed on a subpopulation of patients (20 with hearing loss and 16 with normal hearing). A history of ventilation was associated with hearing loss (P = .0023), but this factor was not absolute. No other clinical parameters were convincingly linked to hearing loss. We conclude that reliance on risk factors is an inadequate clinical method to select a patient for a hearing test and that each NICU survivor deserves audiometric evaluation.

Audiometry↗
PubMed1995

Techniques for outcomes research in chronic sinusitis.

Accurate assessment of patient outcome after sinus surgery requires the collection of valid and reliable data. Symptom-based surveys were administered in a prospective manner to 104 patients with chronic sinusitis. Test-retest reliability for the Chronic Sinusitis Survey based on duration of symptoms (0.86, P < .0001) was superior to that for a similar survey based on severity of symptoms (0.57, P < .0001). Results of the Chronic Sinusitis Survey also correlated significantly with subscales of a general health assessment in the extent to which chronic sinusitis limits physical activity (0.40, P < .01), interferes with work or other activities (0.36, P < .01), and affects patient perception of bodily pain (0.46, P < .001). The Chronic Sinusitis Survey is an efficient and reliable method to follow health status and health-related quality of life outcomes in patients with chronic sinusitis.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1993

The cause of aural polyps in children.

This 20-year retrospective review identifies 35 pediatric patients with aural polyps in an attempt to assess for clinical predictors of significant otopathologic conditions. Chronic otitis media (43%), cholesteatoma (29%), and retained tympanostomy tubes (23%) were the common causes. Unusual causes included mycobacterial infection and Langerhans' cell histiocytosis. Multivariate analysis revealed the co-occurrence of conductive hearing loss at presentation to be a significant clinical predictor (P = .03) of cholesteatoma; the histopathologic finding of keratin-induced giant cell reaction was nonspecific in this respect. Cholesteatoma was also prevalent in recurrent polyp cases, suggesting the need for prolonged follow-up in those children whose initial clinicopathologic evaluation does not yield a definitive diagnosis.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Visual field change in low-tension glaucoma over a five-year follow-up.

There is some evidence that the nature and progression of disease in low-tension glaucoma may be distinct from other open-angle glaucomas. The authors assessed visual field change by retrospective case review of all patients treated for low-tension glaucoma by the Glaucoma Service, Wills Eye Hospital, for at least 5 years. Sixty-two glaucomatous eyes of 36 patients were identified. All eyes were treated medically and 40 (65%) underwent at least one surgical procedure. Twenty-eight eyes (47%) had initial field loss confined to a single hemi-field and in the remainder both hemi-fields were involved. Thirty of 57 eyes (53%) showed progression at 3 years and 38 (62%) of 57 had progressed by 5 years. A dense scotoma extending from the nasal periphery toward fixation was the most common visual field defect. The rate of field change in this population is significantly greater than in a cohort of primary open-angle glaucoma patients also seen at Wills Eye Hospital, but who had elevated intraocular pressures. Patterns of field loss and rate of progression in this low-tension glaucoma population suggest that the natural history of low-tension glaucoma differs from high-tension open-angle glaucoma.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Airway obstruction following application of cricoid pressure.

The widely practiced rapid-sequence induction with application of cricoid pressure is designed to facilitate endotracheal intubation in patients considered to be at high risk of aspiration. We describe a case in which this maneuver was performed on a patient with an undiagnosed traumatic injury to the larynx. The resulting airway obstruction required emergency surgical intervention. The clinical presentation, diagnosis, and management of such injuries are discussed.

Adult↗