American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Oct. 11-14

The annual meeting of the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery was held from Oct. 11 to 14 in Indianapolis and attracted more than 5,000 participants from around the world, including otolaryngologists, medical experts, allied health professionals, and administrators. The conference highlighted the latest advances in the diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the ears, nose, throat, and related structures of the head and neck.

In one study, Barak M. Spector, M.D., of Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Beachwood, Ohio, and colleagues aimed to assess how comorbidity burden impacts post-cochlear implant (CI) speech recognition (SR) and quality-of-life outcomes. 

The investigators evaluated 343 adult patients who presented with bilateral hearing loss and received CIs between 2017 and 2022; 32 comorbidities were identified based on an in-depth chart review. The authors used three comorbidity scores including the Charlson Index (10-year mortality), Elixhauser Index (30-day mortality), and a basic sum score (equal weight to each comorbidity). Clinical SR measures included word recognition (CNC), sentence recognition in quiet (AzBioQ), and noise (AzBioN) in best-aided condition. Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) included the Speech, Spatial and Qualities of Hearing Scale and Cochlear Implant Quality of Life.

The researchers found that higher comorbidity burden was associated with poorer speech recognition. In addition, the Charlson Index correlated with both early and long-term CNC/AzBioQ. The Elixhauser Index was the only independent predictor of early and long-term AzBioQ, and no comorbidity index was associated with PROMs.

“Comorbid disease burden impacts CI speech recognition performance,” Spector said. “Elixhauser Index best captures relevant comorbidities affecting CI outcomes after controlling for clinical covariates, and PROMs may not reflect medical comorbidity burden. The findings support development of a CI-specific comorbidity index to optimize prognostic accuracy and postoperative management.”

Abstract 

In a prospective, randomized controlled study, Dor Maayan, M.D., of LSU Shreveport in Louisiana, and colleagues found that obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) impaired wound healing in mice. 

The researchers randomized 16 mice to an OSA group exposed to chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH) for eight hours daily over a period of three weeks and a control group exposed to room temperature. The investigators created two full-thickness wounds on each mouse and assessed wound healing during the study period. The researchers found that OSA wounds closed more slowly than normoxic wounds. OSA wounds exhibited a thicker epidermis, increased fibroblasts, capillaries, and macrophages, all of which were statistically significant. 

“OSA should be considered a factor impairing wound healing, and be treated accordingly,” Maayan said.

Abstract