American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Sept. 13-Oct. 25

The 124th American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Foundation Annual Meeting and OTO Experience

The annual meeting of the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery is being held virtually this year from Sep. 13 to Oct. 25 and has attracted participants from around the world, including otolaryngologists, medical experts, allied health professionals, and administrators. The conference is highlighting the latest advances in the diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the ears, nose, throat, and related structures of the head and neck.

In a cross-sectional survey of 12 academic otolaryngology programs, David Larson, M.D., of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and colleagues found that burnout and distress remain present among otolaryngology trainees and attending physicians.

The researchers evaluated well-being and burnout among 612 residents, fellows, and faculty using the Expanded Physician Well-being Index for distress, Maslach Burnout Inventory for professional burnout, Patient Health Questionnaire-2 screen for major depressive disorder, and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-2 screen for generalized anxiety disorder. The investigators found that the well-being of the residents, fellows, and faculty was negatively impacted by longer working hours and more nights on call, which contributed to greater levels of burnout. In addition, female gender was a risk factor for increased work-related distress among trainees.

“It is important to identify drivers of physician burnout so that we can develop targeted interventions that actually make a difference in the lives of physicians. And then find practical ways to implement them,” Larson said. “This is a complex and difficult problem, but we owe it to our colleagues, and to ourselves, to improve our work lives, and so improve the delivery of sustainable health care to our patients.”

Abstract

In a randomized controlled trial, Ariana Ghom Greenwell, M.D., of the Boston Children’s Hospital, and colleagues found that dexamethasone, administered as a single dose, was safe and effective for postoperative pain control in children undergoing adenotonsillectomy.

The researchers randomly assigned 149 children to receive either single-dose dexamethasone (0.6 mg/kg; maximum of 8 mg) administered on postoperative day 3 or standard alternating ibuprofen/acetaminophen. The investigators found that children who received dexamethasone had a greater decrease in the reported pain score on days 3, 4, and 5. In addition, there were fewer caregiver phone calls and emergency department visits for children treated with dexamethasone, despite not being statistically significant.