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PurposeTo analyze upper airway (UA) collapse patterns through drug-induced sleep endoscopy (DISE) in adult patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) who previously underwent tonsillectomy.MethodsThis was a retrospective study on patients with OSA who underwent DISE between June 1, 2013 and July 30, 2017 at Stanford Hospital. Subjects who had prior tonsillectomy history were classified into the tonsil0 group, whereas others were classified into the tonsil1 and tonsil2/3/4 group based on tonsil grade. UA collapse characteristics were recorded and analyzed among groups according to Velum, Oropharynx, Tongue base and Epiglottis (VOTE) classification.ResultsA total of 205 individuals were included, 38 in tonsil0 group, 104 in tonsil1 and 63 in tonsil2/3/4. The tonsil0 group had a higher percentage of anterior–posterior (AP) velum (58%) and tongue base (45%) collapse compared with the tonsil2/3/4 group (22%, P = 0.0003 and 22%, P = 0.02, respectively) but less oropharyngeal lateral wall collapses (29% vs 53%, P = 0.02). Most of the tonsil0 group (70%) showed multi-sites collapse pattern, the percentage of combined obstruction in both palatopharyngeal and hypopharyngeal region was higher (50% vs 29%, P = 0.03). The difference of velum complete AP collapse remained significant after adjusting for age and BMI (Odds Ratio = 0.33, 95% CI 0.12–0.86, P = 0.02). No significant differences were found between the tonsil0 and tonsil1 groups.ConclusionCompared with individuals with larger tonsils (grade 2 to 4), those with previous tonsillectomy and OSA were susceptible to the velum AP configuration collapse. Diversity of multi-sites obstruction and combined collapse in both palatopharyngeal and hypopharyngeal level was the main characteristic.

This study evaluates the association of anthropometric indexes and the incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) after a 5-year follow-up. This analysis included 1091 middle-aged participants (57% women, mean age 47 ± 15 years) who were free of T2DM at baseline and attended two health examinations cycles [cycle 1 (2005–2006) and cycle 2 (2010–2013)]. As expected, the participants who developed T2DM after five years (3.8%) had the worst metabolic profile with higher hypertension, dyslipidemia, and obesity rates. Besides, using mixed-effects logistic regression and adjustment for sex, age, and glucose, we found that one unit increase in body adiposity index (BAI) was associated with an 8% increase in their risk of developing T2DM (odds ratio [OR] = 1.08 [95% CI, 1.02–1.14]) and visceral adiposity index (VAI) was associated with a risk increase of 11% (OR = 1.11 [95% CI, 1.00–1.22]). Moreover, a one-unit increase in the triglycerides-glucose index (TyG) was associated with more than four times the risk of developing T2DM (OR = 4.27 [95% CI, 1.01–17.97]). The interquartile range odds ratio for the continuous predictors showed that TyG had the best discriminating performance. However, when any of them were additionally adjusted for waist circumference (WC) or even body mass index (BMI), all adiposity indexes lost the effect in predicting T2DM. In conclusion, TyG had the most substantial predictive power among all three indexes. However, neither BAI, VAI, nor TyG were superior to WC or BMI for predicting the risk of developing T2DM in a middle-aged normoglycemic sample in this rural Brazilian population.

Dexmedetomidine is one of the anesthetics of choice for drug induced sleep endoscopy (DISE), with advantages including limited respiratory depression, analgesia, and decreased incidence of emergence delirium. However, challenges with determining sedation levels and prolonged recovery have limited its usage. An improved understanding of the effect of dexmedetomidine on the level of sedation and the corresponding electroencephalographic (EEG) changes could help overcome these barriers. Fifty-one patients received dexmedetomidine sedation with Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale (RASS) score assessment and continuous EEG monitoring via SedLine for DISE. We constructed a pharmacokinetic model to determine continuous dexmedetomidine blood concentration. From the SedLine, we extracted the patient state index (PSI), and from the EEG we calculated the spectral edge frequency 95% (SEF95) and the correlation dimension (CD), a type of fractal dimension used to assess the complexity of a system. These metrics were subsequently compared against one another and with the dexmedetomidine concentration. Our pharmacokinetic model yielded a two-compartment model with volumes of 51.8 L and 106.2 L, with clearances of 69.5 and 168.9 L/h, respectively, and a time to effect of 9 min, similar to prior studies. Based on this model, decreasing RASS score, SEF95, CD, and PSI were all significantly associated with increasing dexmedetomidine concentration (  < 0.001,  = 0.006,  < 0.001 respectively). The CD, SEF95, and PSI better captured the effects of increasing dexmedetomidine concentration as compared to the RASS score. Simulating dexmedetomidine concentration based on titration to target levels derived from CD and PSI confirmed commonly used dexmedetomidine infusion dosages. Dexmedetomidine use for DISE confirmed previous pharmacokinetic models seen with dexmedetomidine. Complex EEG metrics such as PSI and CD, as compared to RASS score and SEF95, better captured changes in brain state from dexmedetomidine and have potential to improve the monitoring of dexmedetomidine sedation.

Background Telemedicine has grown significantly in recent years, mainly during the COVID-19 pandemic, and there has been a growing body of literature on the subject. Another topic that merits increased attention is differences in patient and family experience between telehealth and in-person visits. To our team’s knowledge, this is the first study evaluating pediatric and obstetrics outpatients experience with telemedicine and in-person visit types in an academic maternal and children’s hospital, and its correlation with geographic distance from the medical center throughout 2020, during the COVID-19 crisis. Methods We aim to evaluate and compare patients’ telemedicine and in-person experience for ambulatory encounters based on survey data throughout 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, with particular focus on the influence of distance of the patient’s home address from the medical facility. A total of 9,322 patient experience surveys from ambulatory encounters (6,362 in-person and 2,960 telemedicine), in a maternal and children’s hospital during 2020 were included in this study. The percentage of patients who scored the question “Likelihood to recommend practice” with a maximum 5/5 (top box) score was used to evaluate patient experience. The k-means model was used to create distance clusters, and statistical t-tests were conducted to compare mean distances and Top Box values between telemedicine and in-person models. Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the correlation between Top Box scores and patients’ distance to the hospital. Results Top Box likelihood to recommend percentages for in-person and telemedicine were comparable (in-person = 81.21%, telemedicine = 81.70%, p -value = 0.5624). Mean distance from the hospital was greater for telemedicine compared to in-person patients (in-person = 48.89 miles, telemedicine = 61.23 miles, p -value < 0.01). Patients who live farther displayed higher satisfaction scores regardless of the visit type ( p -value < 0.01). Conclusions There is a direct relationship between the family experience and the distance from the considered medical center, during year 2020, i.e., patients who live farther from the hospital record higher Top Box proportion for “Likelihood to Recommend” than patients who live closer to the medical center, regardless of the approach, in-person or telemedicine.

Objective Determine risk factors for failure to receive surgical treatment among patients with obstructive sleep apnea. Study Design Population-based observational longitudinal cohort study. Setting Population-based database. Methods Multivariate analysis of 500,792 individuals with obstructive sleep apnea from Optum’s deidentified Clinformatics Data Mart database (2004-2018). Results Black race, increased age, diabetes, atrial fibrillation, obesity, and congestive heart failure were independently associated with a decreased rate of surgery for obstructive sleep apnea. Asian race, hypertension, arrhythmias other than atrial fibrillation, pulmonary disease, and liver disease were independently associated with an increased rate of surgery for obstructive sleep apnea. Conclusion Racial disparities in health outcomes related to health care access and in economic resources have an enormous impact on public health and social equity. We found differences in rates of surgery for obstructive sleep apnea based on race. These data are consistent with others demonstrating disparities in medical treatment of sleep apnea with positive pressure and underline a need for a change in awareness and treatment in these populations.

Background/Objectives: This study evaluated, by cone-beam computed tomography, the role of soft-palate morphology and positioning in upper airway volume and minimum cross-sectional area (mCSA) after orthognathic surgery at three time points: one week before surgery (T0); 4–6 months after surgery (T1); and 12–36 months after surgery (T2). Methods: Patients (N = 91) were divided into five groups according to maxillary surgical movement: 1: maxillary advancement; 2: maxillary advancement and counterclockwise rotation with anterior upward movement; 3: maxillary advancement and counterclockwise rotation with posterior downward movement; 4: maxillary advancement and clockwise rotation with anterior downward movement; and 5: maxillary advancement and clockwise rotation with posterior upward movement. Results: Time was an important predictor of change for almost all volume and mCSA parameters (p < 0.05), except for mCSA-nasopharynx (p = 0.114). Groups 1 and 5 showed recurrence of oropharynx volume and minimum cross-sectional area at 12–36 months, while Group 3 had 85% of vertical soft palate morphology and no oblique morphology at 12–36 months. Conclusions: Soft palate angulation did not change at any time or with any type of surgical movement. Maxillary counterclockwise rotation with posterior downward movement seems to be the preferred surgical movement of the maxilla to increase pharyngeal dimensions and improve soft-palate morphology.

Identification of upper airway (UA) obstruction based on pharyngeal factors is important for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) evaluation. This study is to assess the association between UA collapse characteristics and Friedman tongue position (FTP) in patients with OSA through drug-induced sleep endoscopy (DISE). Retrospective study in individuals with OSA who were intolerant to continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment, submitted to DISE between June 1, 2013, and July 31, 2017. All subjects were classified as having an FTP grade of I to IV, and the velum, oropharynx, tongue base, epiglottis (VOTE) classification was used to analyze the DISE findings. UA collapse characteristics by DISE and FTP grading were compared between groups. The associations between specific DISE findings and FTP were analyzed. In total, 205 patients were assessed. A positive and significant correlation was identified between the presence of retropalatal complete concentric collapse (CCC) and FTP grade, according to the following distributions: I, 17.4%; II, 22.9%; III, 33.7%; and IV, 48.7% ( = 0.014). A logistic regression model revealed that CCC was associated with FTP grade IV. After adjusting for age, sex, body mass index (BMI), and tonsil size (TS), the grade IV individuals had a 4.4-fold higher risk of having CCC than grade I individuals ( = 0.026). Multiple collapse sites and palatopharyngeal or combined (palatopharyngeal and hypopharyngeal) collapse were more prevalent in grade IV individuals. OSA patients intolerant to CPAP have a strong positive correlation between the FTP grade and presence of retropalatal CCC. FTP grade IV is an independent risk factor for velum-CCC, controlling for sex, age, BMI, and TS grade.

Hypertension is the leading cause of overall mortality in low‐ and middle‐income countries. In Brazil, there is paucity of data on the determinants of incident hypertension and related risk factors. We aimed to determine the incidence of hypertension in a sample from the Brazilian population and investigate possible relationships with body adiposity indexes. We assessed risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease, including adiposity body indexes and biochemical analysis, in a sample from the Baependi Heart Study before and after a 10‐year follow‐up. Hypertension was defined by the presence of systolic blood pressure (SBP) ≥140 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure ≥90 mmHg or the use of antihypertensive drugs. From an initial sample of 1693 participants, 498 (56% women; mean age 38 ± 13 years) were eligible to be included. The overall hypertension incidence was 24.3% (22.3% in men and 25.6% in women). Persons who developed hypertension had higher prevalence of obesity, higher levels for blood pressure, higher frequency of dyslipidemia, and higher body adiposity indexes at baseline. The best prediction model for incident hypertension includes age, sex, HDL‐c, SBP, and Body Mass Index (BMI) [AUC = 0.823, OR = 1.58 (95% CI 1.23‐2.04)]. BMI was superior in its predictive capacity when compared to Body Adiposity Index (BAI), Body Roundness Index (BRI), and Visceral Adiposity Index (VAI). Incident hypertension in a sample from the Brazilian population was 24.3% after 10‐year follow‐up and BMI, albeit the simpler index to be calculated, is the best anthropometric index to predict incident hypertension.

Clinical validation studies are important to translate artificial intelligence (AI) technology in healthcare but may be underperformed in Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery (OHNS). This scoping review examined deep learning publications in OHNS between 1996 and 2023. Searches on MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Web of Science databases identified 3236 articles of which 444 met inclusion criteria. Publications increased exponentially from 2012–2022 across 48 countries and were most concentrated in otology and neurotology (28%), most targeted extending health care provider capabilities (56%), and most used image input data (55%) and convolutional neural network models (63%). Strikingly, nearly all studies (99.3%) were in silico, proof of concept early-stage studies. Three (0.7%) studies conducted offline validation and zero (0%) clinical validation, illuminating the “AI chasm” in OHNS. Recommendations to cross this chasm include focusing on low complexity and low risk tasks, adhering to reporting guidelines, and prioritizing clinical translation studies.

Objective The objective of this study is to determine the effectiveness and safety profile of coblation tongue base reduction (CBTR) compared to radiofrequency base of tongue (RFBOT) reduction on sleep‐related outcomes in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Data Sources PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews databases. Review Methods Literature search by 2 independent authors was conducted using the abovementioned databases. Studies on CBTR and RFBOT as part of OSA treatment in adult patients with pre‐ and postoperative apnea–hypopnea index (AHI) were included. Direct meta‐analysis and single‐arm meta‐analysis were conducted to compare sleep‐related outcomes (AHI, apnea index [AI], surgical success rates, Epworth sleepiness score [ESS], SpO2, body mass index [BMI], and visual analog scale [VAS]) between both groups. Results A total of 40 studies with a total of 1940 patients were included, of which 1440 individuals who underwent tongue base reduction interventions (RF = 306, RF + UPPP = 656, and coblation + UPPP = 482) met inclusion criteria. Pooled analysis showed significant improvements in AHI (CBTR = −22.84, RFBOT = −11.14), AI (CBTR = 15.64, RFBOT = −5.26), ESS (CBTR = −7.59, RFBOT = −7.18), mean oxygen saturation (CBTR = 7.43, RFBOT = 4.25), mean BMI (CBTR = −0.69, RFBOT = −4.09), and snoring visual analog scale (CBTR = −16.20, RFBOT = −18.21). Surgical success rate (postoperative AHI < 20 and drop >50% from baselines) was 70% for CBTR and 43% for RFBOT. Conclusion Both interventions decreased sleep‐related outcomes in adult patients with OSA. Coblation appears to exhibit superiority over radiofrequency with a similar safety profile. However, further studies with direct comparisons between both interventions must be performed.