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Background: The present study investigates the representation of women in the Otolaryngology department in a tertiary academic hospital, and the challenges they face during their residencies. Methods: A questionnaire which included demographic information and a series of 54-questions of academic, clinical, social, psychological, and private practice challenges was electronically distributed among female residents registered in the Department of Otolaryngology in the last 10 years (2013–2022) throughout November 2023 to January 2024. Results: Eighty-one female residents out of 103 registered (78.6%) responded to the distributed questionnaire highlighting the challenges they faced during their training period. Conclusion: The current study addresses the barriers confronted by female residents in the department as well as identifying potential solutions that might help future encouragement of women to select otolaryngology as their specialty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The study aimed to investigate whether vitamin D deficiency is a common finding in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) children and whether such deficiency is related to ASD severity and language age or not. Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted on ASD children aged 2-6 years. The participants were 80 Egyptian children with ASD. All participants were assessed using DSM-V, the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS), language assessment, and assessment of serum vitamin D using ADVIA Centaur Vit D assay. Results: About 63.8% of ASD children have vitamin D insufficiency, 28.8 % have vitamin D deficiency, and 7.4% have normal serum levels. No correlation was found between serum vitamin D and language age (r = -0.085, P = 0.451), DSM 5 severity levels (r = 0.015,P= 0.894), and CARS scores (r= 0.075, P= 0.511). Conclusion: ASD children have lower serum vitamin D levels, which may be one of the environmental factors contributing to ASD development in genetically susceptible individuals, and its correction may be helpful as adjuvant therapy for ASD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Oral feeding is a complex sensorimotor process influenced by many variables, making it challenging for healthcare providers to introduce and manage it. Feeding practice guided by tradition or a trial-and-error approach may be inconsistent and potentially delay the progression of oral feeding skills. Aim: To apply a new feeding approach that assesses early oral feeding independence skills of preterm infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). To prove its effectiveness, compare two approaches of oral feeding progression based on clinical outcomes in preterm infants, the traditional approach used in the NICU of Mansoura University Children Hospital (MUCH) versus the newly applied approach. Methods: A quasi-experimental, exploratory, and analytical design was employed using two groups, control and intervention groups, with 40 infants for the first group and 41 infants for the second one. The first group (the control) was done first and included observation of the standard practice in the NICU of MUCH for preterm oral feeding, in which oral feeding was dependent on post-menstrual age (PMA) and weight for four months. The second group (the intervention) included early progression to oral feeding depending on early assessment of Oral Feeding Skills (OFS) and early supportive intervention and/or feeding therapy if needed using the newly developed scoring system, the Mansoura Early Feeding Skills Assessment "MEFSA" for the other four months. Infants in both groups were studied from the day of admission till discharge. Results: In addition to age and weight criteria, other indicators for oral feeding readiness and oral motor skills were respected, such as oral feeding readiness cues, feeding practice, feeding maintenance, and feeding techniques. By following this approach, preterm infants achieved earlier start oral feeding (SOF) and full oral feeding (FOF) and were discharged with shorter periods of tube feeding. Infants gained weight without increasing their workload to the NICU team. Conclusion: The newly applied approach proved to be a successful bedside scoring system scale for assessing preterm infants' early oral feeding independence skills in the NICU. It offers an early individualized experience of oral feeding without clinical complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aimed to develop a new bedside scoring system scale that assesses preterm infants' oral feeding skills (OFS) in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Methods: A literature review and critical appraisal of available oral feeding assessment tools/scores were performed. Subsequently, we developed the "Mansoura Early Feeding Skills Assessment" (MEFSA) scale, an 85-item observational measure of oral feeding skills with three main sections. Forty-one preterm infants who did not receive oral feeding but were clinically stable enough to initiate oral feeding were included in the study. Next, we applied and interpreted the MEFSA to describe and score their feeding skills. Results: Applying the MEFSA resulted in a smooth feeding transition, early start of oral feeding, full oral feeding, and discharge with a shorter period of tube feeding in preterm infants. Conclusion: The MEFSA is a successful bedside scoring system that assesses the OFS of preterm infants in the NICU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To screen for oropharyngeal dysphagia (OD) in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Methods: A descriptive longitudinal study was conducted on 500 adult patients with confirmed COVID-19 in the age range of 19–65 years who were admitted to the main university isolation hospital (whether admitted in the ward or the intensive care unit). Screening for OD was done using the Arabic version of the Eating Assessment Tool (EAT-10) and the Yale swallow protocol. Results: 45.4% of the admitted and 40.97% of the discharged COVID-19 patients had a positive screen for OD. Several risk factors for OD could be detected. These include older age, longer duration of presenting symptoms of COVID-19, presence of ageusia and anosmia, presence of dysphonia, ICU admission, lower oxygen saturation, higher respiratory rate, presence of OD at admission, longer duration of hospital stay, and use of noninvasive ventilation (NIV) and/or invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV). Conclusions: Screening for OD in hospitalized COVID-19 patients is a mandatory procedure, whether for admitted or discharged patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Pharyngeal residue, defined as the material remaining in the pharynx post-swallow, is a sign of swallowing biomechanical impairment and a clinical predictor of aspiration. This study investigates the correlation between pharyngeal residue severity using the Mansoura FEES Residue Rating Scale (MFRRS) and penetration/aspiration scores using the penetration-aspiration scale (PAS) on FEES. Methods: Two hundred ten (210) swallows were obtained during standard FEES assessments of thirty patients with poststroke dysphagia. Residue, in both vallecula and the pyriform sinuses' locations, and penetration/aspiration were scored using MFRRS and PAS, respectively. The Spearman's rank-order correlation was used to assess the correlation between residue and PAS scores. The significance of the obtained results was judged at the (p < 0.05) level. Results: Significant strong positive correlations were demonstrated between PAS scores and each vallecular residue score (rs = 0.663, p = 0.000) and pyriform residue score (rs = 0.688, p = 0.001). Conclusion: There is a significant strong positive correlation between residue severity and penetration/aspiration in each anatomical site evaluated (valleculae and pyriform sinuses). Our results do not designate one site as riskier than the other because either can contribute to aspiration, but rather demonstrate penetration/aspiration to better correlate with the overall severity of the residue, perhaps as a better marker for pharyngeal inefficiency. This study offers insight into the association of residue severity with swallowing safety and efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Deafness is the most common sensory impairment in human beings, with significant social and psychological implications. Several questionnaires were designed to evaluate the social and emotional abilities of English-speaking deaf children. This study's objective was to create Arabic questionnaires to assess the social abilities of Arabic-speaking Egyptian deaf children. Methods: Two Arabic questionnaires targeting social abilities were designed by selecting items from two English-based questionnaires and translating them into Arabic. The questionnaires were administered to 140 Egyptian children aged 3–12 years who were arranged into two age groups. They included 60 children with typical hearing, 60 deaf children fitted with hearing aids, and 20 children with cochlear implants. Results: Children with typical hearing showed the best performance with non-significant differences between cochlear implanted and hearing aided children. The best predictors of the social abilities of Egyptian deaf children were language age and severity of hearing loss. Conclusion: The designed Arabic questionnaires are valid and reliable functional assessment tools that can be used to evaluate and monitor the social performance of deaf children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The academic achievement of deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) students depends on the interaction of many factors, including student and family characteristics and experiences inside and outside school. Several questionnaires have previously been designed for evaluating the listening skills of deaf English-speaking children in school environments. This study's objective was to validate an Arabic questionnaire to evaluate deaf Egyptian Arabic-speaking children's listening skills. The Arabic questionnaire for listening skills in the school environment was adapted by translating items from an English questionnaire into Arabic. The questionnaire was administered to 70 Arabic-speaking Egyptian children 7–12 years, including 30 children with typical hearing, 30 deaf children fitted with hearing aids, and ten deaf children with cochlear implants. Typical hearing children demonstrated the best performance with a non-significant difference between children who use cochlear implants and hearing aids. The degree of hearing loss and language therapy duration were the best predictors of deaf Egyptian children's listening skills. The adapted Arabic questionnaire is a valid and reliable functional assessment tool that can be used to evaluate and monitor Arabic-speaking deaf students' listening skills in the school environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of this work was to design an anatomically based scale for judging post-swallow residue in the pharyngeal cavities, for use during the fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES) in patients with dysphagia, and to assess its feasibility. Methods: Two 7-point ordinal scales (one for vallecular residue and one for pyriform sinus residue), were developed using detailed anatomic landmarks to denote residue levels. Hard copy color images of a specified frame, from 210 videos of 30 adult FEES evaluations demonstrating the range of all possible residue patterns, were selected (n = 56 valleculae, 62 pyriform sinuses). Half of these images were used to train 4 raters. The remaining half of the images were randomly ordered and rated by the trained raters. Two weeks later the same images were randomized again, and each rater re-analyzed them. The inter- and intra-rater reliability and criterion validity were determined using the kappa statistics and their standard errors. The internal consistency of the items in MFRRS was examined. Results: MFRRS showed strong inter-rater reliability (valleculae, κ = 0.832 ± 0.038; pyriform sinus, κ = 0.855 ± 0.034), almost perfect intra-rater reliability (valleculae, κ = 0.964 ± 0.018; pyriform sinus, κ = 0.962 ± 0.02), almost perfect concurrent validity (valleculae, κ = 0.968 ± 0.020; pyriform sinus, κ = 0.0971 ± 0.017), and excellent internal consistency (valleculae, Cronbach's α = 0.990; pyriform sinus, Cronbach's α = 0.985). Conclusion: MFRRS is a feasible and reliable, anatomically based tool that can provide more accurate pharyngeal residue judgments. The optimized description of residue accumulation patterns can contribute to a better overall description of the functional problem and future description of dysphagia phenotypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To develop a time-efficient Arabic test battery for adult-onset chronic aphasia that provides information about the type and the severity of the disorder. Patient and Methods: A total of 90 participants were recruited and divided into 3 groups. The groups consisted of 30 adult-onset post-stroke chronic aphasic patients, 30 adult non-aphasic adults with central neurological disorders, and a group of 30 non-brain-damaged healthy adults. All participants were assessed using the Mansoura Arabic Screening Aphasia Test (MASAT), which consists of 4 main sections: (1) language expression abilities including repetition and naming items, (2) language comprehension questions, (3) fluency, and (4) reading, writing and calculation items. The content validity, internal consistency, clinical validity, and convergent validity of the MASAT were evaluated. Results: The MASAT demonstrated statistically high reliability and validity. The high α-values in all subtotal scores among the 3 groups were judged to denote excellent intercorrelation among the screening test items. Conclusion: The MASAT is a valid and a reliable brief assessment tool that can be completed on the first clinic appointment that detects the type and severity of Arabic-speaking aphasic patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The aim of this study was to develop a low-cost methodology for preparing different thickened liquids with different consistencies and viscosities that mimic the viscosities of culturally relevant traditional Egyptian liquids, which can be easily used in the fiberoptic-endoscopic evaluation of swallowing. Materials and Methods: The textures of 9 traditional Egyptian liquids were quantified with the International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative (IDDSI) Flow Test and spanned the entire range of the IDDSI scale. We then developed texture-modified fluids that matched each dietary fluid texture for endoscopic dysphagia assessment using a regionally available, inexpensive, starch-based thickening agent. Results: Our results indicate simple methods of assuring that fluids used during swallowing testing with endoscopy can be matched to dietary fluids to ensure appropriate dietary prescriptions for people with dysphagia. The changes in the thickness and viscosity of the prepared liquid samples were detected and studied separately. The measured samples include some traditional Egyptian fluids (molokhia, lentil soup) in addition to commercially available fluids and pudding. Conclusion: The method can be applied to develop thickened liquids with different consistencies to model the traditional, naturally thickened liquids in Egypt and many other developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phonological awareness (PA) is one of the most important components in the development of normal reading ability. It refers to the ability to detect and manipulate the sound structure of words independently of their meaning. The current study aimed to assess Arabic PA skills and the relation to word reading abilities in Egyptian Arabic-speaking children. The designed assessment was applied to 80 typically developing children, divided into two subgroups ranging in age from 5 years 6 months to 8 years 6 months. The design of assessment involved six PA tasks covering three levels: rhyme awareness, syllabic awareness, and phonemic awareness, as well as the assessment of reading abilities that include real word and nonsense word reading tasks. Descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation), Student’sttests, and Pearson correlation coefficient tests were used to analyze the data. The reliability of the test was proven using the test–retest procedure. Validity of the test was estimated through internal consistency validity. The results revealed that the Arabic PA assessment test (APAAT) proved to be a reliable and valid tool for assessing Arabic reading skills. Findings from the study provided important insights into the developmental patterns of Arabic PA. In addition, the findings revealed a strong relationship between phonological awareness skills and the proficiency in word reading abilities in Arabic school-aged children. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Both sphincter pharyngoplasty (SP) and pharyngeal flap (PF) procedures have gained popularity among surgeons as effective surgical management for velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI). Different centers prefer either SP or PF and have published their results to support this preference. But is one technique superior to the other? To answer this question, we have adopted the concept of differential therapeutic management, based on detailed assessment of velopharyngeal function. According to this assessment either SP or PF was performed for management of VPI (secondary to adenotonsillectomy). The aim of this work is to evaluate and compare the surgical results after SP and PF (based on the preoperative nasoendoscopy and phoniatrics' evaluation). This study was conducted on 31 patients with persistent hypernasality after adenotonsillectomy. All patients were subjected to perceptual speech evaluation and nasoendoscopic examination. According to this evaluation and data analysis, 18 patients were operated by SP and 13 patients underwent PF. Statistically, highly significant improvements were found when comparing pre- versus postoperative perceptual speech evaluation following both SP and PF ( P < 0.001). When comparing the postoperative perceptual speech evaluation following both techniques, statistically non-significant differences were reported ( P > 0.05). Preoperative differential diagnosis of VPI using perceptual speech assessment and nasoendoscopy of the velopharynx allows for tailored surgical management with either SP or PF. Both SP and PF procedures could yield good surgical outcomes, when patients are properly selected and the technique is chosen according to preoperative assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of this study was to collect the normative values of nasalance for Egyptian Arabic speakers in different age groups, using Arabic speech samples in order to compare patients with disturbed nasality. Material and Methods: This study included 300 normal Egyptian volunteers divided into three groups according to their ages: group I = children (n = 92; age 3 years, 3 months to 9 years), group II = teenagers (n = 76; age 9–18 years) and group III = adults (n = 132; age above 18 years). The Nasometer II 6400 was used for the analysis of speech samples. All subjects were asked to perform four speech tasks that were based on the MacKay-Kummer SNAP Test-R and modified to be applicable to the Arabic language, especially to the Egyptian dialect. Results: The normative values for nasometric assessment in the different age groups were studied. The results demonstrated nasalance score variations according to age and gender. Most of the nasalance score norms of the Egyptian children demonstrated statistically significant differences when compared with the norms of children for the MacKay-Kummer Test-R. Conclusion: The Egyptian Arabic SNAP test is an easy, noninvasive and objective procedure that is suitable for all age groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]