Search

Cochlear implant surgery is a cornerstone in the treatment of severe to profound hearing impairment. Despite comprising a significant proportion of the deaf population, children with additional needs have only been included for cochlear implant candidacy in recent years. This paper aims to evaluate the long-term progress of children with additional needs post-implantation compared to children without additional and assess how this trend changes over time. This is a longitudinal cohort study comparing the outcomes between children with no additional needs, children with a single additional need, and children with multiple additional needs. The five outcome measures used assessed both auditory perception and expressive and receptive language. For each outcome measure, subjects were assessed pre implant and one-, three-, and five-years post-implant. The total cohort consisted of 334 subjects: 181 with no additional needs, 116 with a single additional need, and 37 with multiple additional needs. The results showed that children with additional needs performed significantly poorer in all outcome measures compared to those without additional needs, with a greater negative effect associated with multiple additional needs. In auditory perception, both additional needs groups increased in rate of progress over time, in contrast to language capabilities for which the rate plateaued at a significantly lower level than children without additional needs. Once again, both of these effects were greater for the multiple additional needs group. It is clear that there is reduced progress in children with additional needs compared to those without, and that the number of additional needs present is an important factor in this. Despite initial delays, it seems as though children with additional needs may catch up over time in auditory perception scores, however for language skills, this cohort may achieve limited scores even as time progresses. It is important to investigate this further to gauge the factors that are causing this discrepancy to see if any can be limited to maximise outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Although parotid gland malignancies are uncommon, they nevertheless represent a cause of morbidity and mortality in the pediatric population. Few studies have sought to identify disparities related to their presentation, treatment, and survival. There is a need to understand these variations to improve care for historically underrepresented groups., Study Design: Retrospective Cohort Study., Setting: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program Database., Methods: Analysis of pediatric patients with parotid gland malignancies between 2000 and 2019. Race and ethnicity were classified as Non-Hispanic White, Non-Hispanic Black, Asian, and Hispanic for multivariable analysis. Outcomes included tumor size and stage at diagnosis, survival, and need for facial nerve sacrifice. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to analyze survival. Multivariable logistic regression was conducted to identify predictors of outcomes., Results: 149 patients met the criteria for inclusion. Stratified by race/ethnicity, Non-Hispanic Black (Median 23 mm, IQR 15-33), Asian (30 mm, 14-32), and Hispanic (23 mm, 20-28) patients had larger tumors at presentation than Non-Hispanic White patients (18 mm, 12-25, p = 0.017). Disease-specific survival differed by time-to-treatment (log-rank, p = 0.01) and overall survival differed by income (p < 0.001). On multivariable analysis, Hispanic patients were more likely to experience facial nerve sacrifice (OR 3.71, 95%CI 1.25-11.6, p = 0.020), and Non-Hispanic Black (OR 3.37, 0.95-11.6, = 0.053) and Asian (OR 5.67, 1.46-22.2, p = 0.011) patients presented with larger tumors compared to Non-Hispanic White patients., Conclusions: Variations in presentation and treatment exist across race and ethnicity in pediatric parotid cancer. Identifying these disparities may help improve access and outcomes for underserved patient populations., Level of Evidence: III., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest All authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose: Rahul K. Sharma, MD – None. Shreyas G. Krishnapura, MD – None. John Ceremsak, MD – None. Jean-Nicolas Gallant, MD PhD – None. Daniel J. Benedetti MD MA – None. Scott C. Borinstein MD PhD - None. Ryan H Belcher, MD MPH - None., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Aim: Smell and taste are senses that contribute to a child's overall well-being. Disorders affecting these senses can impact a child's daily life from enjoying meals to detecting potential dangers through scent. The aim of this study is to describe patient characteristics and etiological causes of olfactory (OD) and/or gustatory disorders (GD) in children referred to a smell and taste clinic. Secondly, we aim to suggest a clinical work up., Methods: Retrospective study where data were collected from 57 children who were referred consecutively to the University Clinic for Flavour, Balance, and Sleep; Department of Otorhinolaryngology (ORL), Head and Neck Surgery; Goedstrup Hospital, Denmark, for assessment due to OD/GD from January 2017 to May 2023., Results: Most of the children had anosmia (60 %), whereas sensation of the basic tastes was intact in all but eight children (16 %). The lowest TDI scores were in children with congenital OD. The underlying etiology was congenital followed by postinfectious mostly related to Covid-19. Picky eating including anorectic traits were seen in 16 % of patients., Conclusion: The focus on smell loss in pediatric population is low, and probably does not adequately reflect either underlying prevalence in this group or the possible consequences on a child's well-being. Moreover, increased awareness of children's smell and taste loss is needed, as it may be associated with eating disturbances., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest All authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Children with ADHD were found to have language impairment in many studies. The way they use language in their everyday life may be affected, namely, the pragmatic aspect of language. Measuring the affected parameters in all aspects of language will help to reach better rehabilitation. Thus, this study set out to observe relationships between hyperactivity/impulsivity and inattention with all language domains in 30 Egyptian Arabic-speaking children with ADHD between 4 and ≤7 years old with the aim of better intervention. Children were evaluated to establish the diagnosis of ADHD and its type following the diagnostic criteria of the DSM-V criteria and the Conners' Parent Rating Scale-Revised. Language abilities were assessed by the Pre-school Language Scale 4th edition (Arabic version), the Arabic articulation test, and the Egyptian Arabic Pragmatic Language Test. This assessment covered receptive and expressive language abilities and phonological and pragmatic skills., Results: Compared to norms, it was found that the ADHD children who participated in this study had non-significant language delays in the parameters of the modified PLS-4 test. 70 % of the ADHD children had total pragmatic test scores below their 5th percentile, while 30 % of the children had total pragmatic test scores above their 5th percentile. 50 % of ADHD children failed to master certain sounds corresponding to their phonological age. A statistically significant negative correlation was observed between each of the inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity scores and the receptive, expressive, total language ages, and pragmatic language scores., Conclusion: Children with ADHD in this study did not show major difficulties in areas beyond what would be expected in normally developing children. Most children with ADHD in the present study had problems with pragmatic language aspects that are correlated positively to ADHD symptoms. 50 % of ADHD children failed to master certain sounds corresponding to their chronological age., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest No competing interests., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Provide an update on our institution's experience with utilizing transoral robotic surgery (TORS) in pediatric airway surgery and compare these results to surgery by traditional methods., Methods: Pediatric patients who underwent TORS for treatment of upper airway pathology between 2010 and 2021 at our institution were retrospectively identified and compared to patients with the same or similar pathology who underwent a traditional (open or endoscopic) surgical approach over the same time period. Outcomes of interest included patient demographics, operative times, adverse events, hospital length of stay (LOS), and modified barium swallow (MBSS) results., Results: Forty children (19M, 21F) underwent 46 TORS procedures. Mean age was 6.4 years (range: 6 days-17 years). Most commonly treated pathology included: laryngeal clefts (LC) (n = 18), lymphatic malformations (n = 9), and base of tongue masses (n = 7). Surgical time was decreased in traditional type I LC repairs (mean: 111 vs 149 min, P = 0.04) and lymphatic malformation excisions (59 vs 120 min, p = 0.005). Hospital LOS was increased in TORS type I LC repairs (2.6 vs 1.2 days, P = 0.04). Adverse event rate was similar between TORS and traditional cohorts (17 % vs 16 % cases, P = 0.9). Postoperative MBSS results were improved for TORS type I LC repairs at 6 months (70 % vs 33 %, P = 0.09) and 12 months (82 % vs 43 %, P = 0.05)., Conclusions: Pediatric TORS is practical and safe and has comparable outcomes to traditional surgery. Robotic-assisted LC repair displayed improved postoperative swallow results versus traditional approaches and may be particularly useful in recurrent cases., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Pharyngeal foreign bodies (PFBs) are a prevalent disease affected by food culture and dietary habits, with fish bones as the leading cause. Most studies were limited to specific regions, and a nationwide survey was not conducted in Japan. In this ecological study, we aimed to conduct a nationwide analysis of outpatient PFB cases in Japan over three years, focusing on seasonal trends, sex- and age-stratified cases, and regional differences., Methods: We used the National Database of Health Insurance Claims and Specific Health Checkups of Japan open data from April 2019 to March 2022. The case data were analyzed by month, age, sex, and prefecture. Additionally, we calculated the standardized claim ratios (SCRs) for each prefecture and investigated the association between dietary habits, food culture, and SCR of PFBs using a two-level linear regression model., Results: We analyzed a total of 164,337 outpatient PFB cases in Japan, revealing an average incidence rate of 45.6 per 100,000 persons. The seasonal trend revealed a peak in July each year from 2019 to 2021, confirming seasonality in PFB incidents. Children reported a higher incidence rate. Living west of Japan and expenditure on fish and shellfish had a strongly positive association with the SCR of PFBs., Conclusion: Our nationwide survey reveals that, even within Japan, there were regional variations influenced by food culture and dietary habits. The data showed that PFB incidence was higher among children, highlighting the need for preventive education., Level of Evidence: Level 3., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Since December 2021, the number of children with COVID-19 infections has increased. Sequelae in children have not been well-described. Our goal was to determine if children with a history of COVID-19 infection (C19 group) were more likely to present with recurrent acute otitis media (rAOM) or post-ventilation tube otorrhea (VTO) than children who had no history of COVID-19 infection (NoC19 group)., Methods: Charts of consecutive children presenting at a pediatric otolaryngology clinic from March-May 2022 were reviewed. Demographics, COVID-19 test history, comorbidities, ultimate diagnosis, physical exam findings, and management plan were included. No children had a known COVID-19 infection at the time of visit., Results: 524 children were included, 228 (43.5 %) girls and 296 (56.5 %) boys. Mean age was 5 years (95 % CI 4.6-5.4). 115 (21.9 %) had a history of COVID-19 infection. 104 (19.8 %) had a diagnosis of rAOM or VTO, 26.1 % (30/115) children in C19 and 18.1 % (74/409) children in NoC19 (Fisher's Exact p = .04, OR = 1.6). For children without ventilation tubes in place, 23.5 % (27/115) in C19 had rAOM versus 15.2 % (62/409) in NoC19 (p = .03, OR = 1.7). 18.3 % (21/115) of the C19 group had nasal congestion compared to 6.6 % (27/409) of the NoC19 group (p < .001, OR = 3.2). There was no difference in incidence of otitis media with effusion, tonsil/adenoid hypertrophy, sleep-disordered breathing, or epistaxis between the groups., Conclusion: Infection with COVID-19 may be associated with an increased risk of rAOM and VTO in children. This may affect healthcare utilization by increasing the need for pediatric and otolaryngologic care., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Background: Patients with long-COVID suffer from symptoms that continue or develop after a COVID-19 or SARS-CoV-2 infection and are present for four or more weeks after the initial infection. This case series describes a group of previously healthy adolescent patients with long-COVID who were seen in a pediatric vestibular clinic for evaluation of severe dizziness and were diagnosed with persistent postural-perceptual dizziness (PPPD). By presenting their symptoms, management and treatment effects, this study aims to provide a diagnostic and therapeutic framework for providers who encounter these patients., Methods: Patient records were reviewed for past medical history, symptoms, physical exam findings, results of audiometric and vestibular testing, dizziness handicap inventory for patient caregiver (DHI-pc) scores, and treatment recommendations. Parents of patients were contacted for a follow up survey to assess treatment adherence and outcomes including changes in symptoms and return to activity., Results: A series of 9 adolescent patients were referred from a multidisciplinary long-COVID clinic and diagnosed with PPPD. Recommended treatment included vestibular physical therapy, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor medication, and cognitive behavioral therapy. The majority of patients experienced an improvement in their symptoms, and all patients had improved activity levels and DHI-pc scores after treatment., Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, no previous reports exist discussing PPPD in long-COVID patients. This case series provides insight into symptom evolution and treatment efficacy in this patient population., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Little is known about the hearing characteristics in patients with congenital round window atresia (CRWA). This study aimed to investigate hearing characteristics in patients with CRWA by comparing them with two relatively common congenital middle ear anomalies: congenital stapedial fixation (CSF) and congenital ossicular discontinuity (COD)., Methods: Literature searches yielded five patients with surgically confirmed CRWA (seven ears), who were included in the CRWA group, along with one of our patients. Air and bone conduction thresholds; air-bone gap (ABG); and presence and depth of the Carhart notch were analyzed. These audiometric variables in the CRWA group were compared with those in the CSF (n = 15) and COD (n = 22) groups, comprising patients identified from our institution's medical database., Results: Average bone and air conduction thresholds in the CRWA group were 16.4 (standard deviation [SD]: 2.9; 95 % confidence interval [CI]: 14.6-18.3) and 44.6 (SD: 3.5; 95 % CI: 42.6-47.3) dB hearing level (HL). Bone conduction thresholds at high frequencies (≥2 kHz) were higher than those at low frequencies (<2 kHz), while air conduction thresholds at high frequencies were lower than those at low frequencies: ABGs at high frequencies were significantly smaller than those at low frequencies (2 kHz vs. 0.5 kHz, p = 0.027; 2 kHz vs. 1 kHz, p = 0.041; 4 kHz vs. 0.5 kHz, p = 0.042; 4 kHz vs. 1 kHz, p = 0.027). There were no between-group differences in incidence and depth of the Carhart notch., Conclusion: CRWA could manifest as a distinct audiometric pattern with poorer bone conduction and better air conduction at ≥2 kHz, resulting in significantly smaller ABGs at higher frequencies than that at lower frequencies. Our findings indicated that this pattern differed from that of CSF and COD. The unique beer bottle-shaped audiogram associated with CRWA might facilitate its early diagnosis in patients with congenital conductive hearing loss., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Aim: This study explored the value of Chirp-auditory brainstem response (ABR) thresholds in assessing the hearing threshold of children diagnosed with auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder (ANSD)., Methods: A total of 20 children with ANSD (40 ears, aged 1.5-7.0 years, median age 4.5 years) and 31 children with sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) (52 ears, aged 0.9-8.0 years, median age 3.7 years) were included. Besides, 25 normal children (50 ears, aged 0.8-7.5 years, median age 4.6 years) were used as controls. Chirp-ABR and behavioral audiometry were performed simultaneously among three groups of children, allowing for a comparison of the thresholds obtained through both methods., Results: In ANSD children, the correlation (r-values) between the thresholds obtained from Chirp-ABR and behavioral audiometry at 500-4000 Hz were 0.84, 0.67, 0.59, and 0.60, respectively. The average threshold differences between two methods ranged from 9.7 to 13.3 dB at 500-4000 Hz. Notably, 20 % ears (8/40) exhibited considerable discrepancies (>30 dB) in thresholds at certain frequencies. For SNHL children, the r-values between two methods were 0.84, 0.89, 0.92, and 0.93, respectively. The average threshold differences between two methods were 5.7-8.2 dB at 500-4000 Hz. Similarly, in normal children, the average threshold differences between two methods ranged from 6.1 dB to 7.7 dB, the r-values were 0.81, 0.78, 0.80, and 0.80 at 500-4000 Hz, respectively., Conclusion: Chirp-ABR threshold is not suitable to predict the behavioral audiometry threshold in ANSD children. When there is a significant discrepancy (>30 dB) between Chirp-ABR thresholds and behavioral audiometry thresholds in hearing loss, ANSD should be highly suspected., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To investigate regional disparities in the length of hospital stay (LOS) for pediatric patients undergoing tonsillectomy for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in the United States., Methods: We utilized the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) Kid Inpatient Database (KID) for 2016, analyzing data on pediatric OSA patients aged 0-20. We compared LOS in different U.S. regions and employed statistical tests to assess significance., Results: Regional variation in LOS was observed among pediatric OSA patients. The Midwest and South regions showed longer LOS compared to the West and Northeast. Notably, standard deviations for LOS in the Midwest and South were substantial, signifying significant variability., Conclusion: Our findings emphasize the importance of addressing regional differences in pediatric OSA care. Prolonged hospital stays can impose significant burdens on children and families. Identifying and mitigating factors driving these disparities is crucial for enhancing the quality and efficiency of care, ultimately striving for more equitable healthcare for pediatric OSA patients nationwide., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: Virtual Reality (VR) is a successful distraction method for reducing procedure-related pain in children, though it has never been studied during otomicroscopy. Therefore, we investigated the efficacy of VR as a distraction method during otomicroscopy., Methods: This Randomised Control Trial (RCT) included 60 children aged 4-15 years. The patients were randomised to receive distraction by VR, tablet, or no distraction. Procedure-related pain was scored by patients and compared with previous examinations., Results: Patients' experience with otomicroscopy was significantly improved with VR compared to tablet (p < 0.05) and no distraction (p < 0.01). Pain scores did not differ significantly between groups., Conclusion: VR did not reduce pain scores, but it improved the children's experience with otomicroscopy without causing significant adverse outcomes., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: To evaluate and compare audiological outcomes of atresiaplasty and Bonebridge (BB) implantation in patients with unilateral congenital aural atresia (UCAA), to guide clinical decision-making., Methods: Twenty-seven subjects diagnosed with UCAA were included in the study. Thirteen were implanted with the BB, while 14 undergone atresiaplasty. All patients underwent pre-and post-surgery examinations, including pure-tone audiometry, sound field threshold (SFT), speech reception threshold (SRT), word recognition score (WRS), and horizontal sound source localization tests., Results: (1) Postoperatively, the average SFT decreased by 11.79 ± 5.93 dB HL in the atresiaplasty group and by 24.46 ± 9.36 dB HL in the BB group, with a significantly greater decrease in the BB group compared to the atresiaplasty group (P < 0.05). (2) Both groups demonstrated a significant improvement in average disyllabic WRS postoperatively under normal ear-masking conditions, with the BB group showing a significantly higher improvement than the atresiaplasty group. (3) When the speech signal was presented from the CAA side with noise from the normal hearing side, both surgical groups exhibited a significant decrease in postoperative signal-to-noise ratio compared to preoperative levels, with improvements of 2.14 ± 2.95 dB SNR in the atresiaplasty group and 4.92 ± 5.83 dB SNR in the BB group (P < 0.05). (4) The average minimum audible angle preoperative in the atresiaplasty group was 29.71 ± 18.42°, which decreased to 18.1 ± 10.07° at 6 months postoperatively, showing a statistically significant improvement (P < 0.05)., Conclusion: We concluded that both atresiaplasty and Bonebridge implantation can significantly improve speech perception under both quiet and noisy conditions in children with UCAA. BoneBridge implantation appears to provide better audiological outcomes than atresiaplasty. Atresiaplasty can significantly improve the accuracy of sound localization. No significant improvement in sound localization accuracy was observed in the short period after Bonebridge implantation. Further research should be conducted with a larger sample size and longer follow-up time., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: The study's main objective was to compare Listening Effort (LE) in children with central auditory processing disorder [(C)APD] and typically developing children in quiet and at -2 and -6 dB SNR conditions. And to determine the relationship between LE and auditory processing abilities in children with (C)APD., Methods: The study included 30 children (15 typically developing children and 15 diagnosed with (C)APD) aged 10-12 years. LE was measured using a dual-tasking paradigm. The primary task required the child to repeat the words. The second task required the child to click the mouse based on the image displayed on the laptop's screen. The primary task was done at quiet, -2 dB SNR, and -6 dB SNR conditions. LE was correlated with dichotic CV, duration pattern test, speech perception in noise - Indian English, and gap detection test in children with (C)APD., Results: A mixed ANOVA was performed with LE in various conditions as the within-subject factor and group as the between-subject factor for both repetition and reaction time. The study found that LE repetition and reaction time had a significant main effect across conditions and groups. The correlation results revealed a significant relationship between LE reaction time with dichotic scores and GDT thresholds only at -2 dB SNR and -6 dB SNR conditions. There was no significant correlation between other auditory processing abilities and LE under different conditions, such as quiet, SPIN-IE, and DPT at -2 dB SNR and -6 dB SNR., Conclusion: The study emphasizes the importance of cognitive abilities for adequate listening comprehension in challenging situations. As a result, assessing LE in this population may provide additional information for developing therapeutic activities and assisting the child in overcoming listening difficulties., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest We would like to draw the Editor's attention to certain aspects that may be interpreted as potential conflicts of interest and significant financial contributions that could influence the outcome of this publication. However, we would like to confirm that there are no known conflicts of interest associated with this work, and there has been no significant financial support that could have influenced the outcomes. All named authors have read and approved the manuscript, and no other individuals meet the authorship criteria but are not listed. We have also considered the protection of intellectual property related to this work, and there are no impediments to publication, including timing. We followed our institution's intellectual property regulations. The Corresponding Author serves as the primary point of contact for the editorial process, including direct communication with the office, and is in charge of communicating with the other authors about progress, revisions, and final proof approval. We confirm that we have provided a current and correct email address accessible to the Corresponding Author., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: To assess the safety and effectiveness of perioperative ibuprofen in pediatric tonsillectomy through a meta-analysis of relevant randomized controlled trials., Methods: We conducted a comprehensive review of studies available in PubMed, SCOPUS, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane databases up to June 2024. This analysis compared perioperative ibuprofen administration to control groups (saline, acetaminophen, or opioids). Outcomes assessed were postoperative pain management, as indicated by the frequency of analgesic use, and morbidity rates, which included the incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting and post-tonsillectomy hemorrhage (PTH). PTH was further categorized as primary (occurring on the day of operation) or secondary (occurring after the day of operation), and classified as type 1 (observed at home or evaluated in the emergency department without further intervention), type 2 (requiring readmission for observation), or type 3 (necessitating a return to the operating room for hemorrhage control)., Results: This analysis included nine studies involving a total of 1545 patients. Incidences of primary PTH (OR = 1.0949, 95 % CI [0.4169; 2.8755], I 2  = 0.0 %), secondary PTH (OR = 1.6433 95 % CI [0.7783; 3.4695], I 2  = 0.1 %), and overall PTH (OR = 1.4296 95 % CI [0.8383; 2.4378], I 2  = 0.0 %) were not significantly higher in the ibuprofen group than the control groups. Administration of ibuprofen led to a significant decrease in postoperative nausea and vomiting (OR = 0.4228 95 % CI [0.2500; 0.7150], I 2  = 40.0 %) and frequency of postoperative analgesic uptake (OR = 0.4734 95 % CI [0.2840; 0.7893]; I 2  = 19.8 %). There was no difference in bleeding by type between the ibuprofen and control groups., Conclusions: Our meta-analysis demonstrated that administration of ibuprofen for pediatric tonsillectomy did not significantly increase the incidence of postoperative bleeding but did decrease postoperative emesis and improve pain control., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Drooling is a troublesome condition, especially in children with neuromuscular and intellectual disability. Over the past decade, novel interventions have been trialled to alleviate drooling in the affected children. Kinesio tape (KT) application has shown promising results in controlling drooling in children. We reviewed the literature to determine the outcome of KT application in drooling children., Methods: A literature search was conducted from January 1, 1990 to March 2024 by searching several databases over a 1-month period (April 2024) according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. The primary outcome was defined as the success of the intervention determined by the improvement or resolution of symptoms, and the secondary outcome was determined by adjunct or repeated procedures and the presence of complications., Results: Overall, 172 children from 10 studies were identified. All studies included are retrospective studies (Level III). This review included 172 children, with a mean age of 8.2 years (Male: 58.7 %). All included children had underlying comorbidities (100 %), with neurological disorders (77 %) being the most prevalent. KT application was performed predominantly over the orbicularis oris in 6 studies, 118 children[68.6 %], suprahyoid region in 3 studies, 45 children (26.2 %) and multiregion over the head and neck in 1 study of children (5.2 %). Drooling was assessed subjectively in all 100 % of children with objective measurement performed in 3 studies. KT was the only intervention in 40.7 % of the included children, whereas KT was performed in combination with oromotor therapy in 48 children, speech therapy in 44 children, and manipulation therapy in 10 children. All included children (100 %) reported improvement in drooling. No studies reported adverse reactions to KT application., Conclusions: KT application is a safe, effective alternative for drooling children. The effect of KT, however, may be temporary. The quality of the evidence is inadequate to recommend widespread use of the intervention until a better-quality study has been completed. Future randomised controlled studies with a large sample size are warranted to determine the efficacy of this intervention among children., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest All authors have no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: Endotracheal intubation (ETI) is a lifesaving procedure in critically ill children. Direct laryngoscopy (DL) is the most utilized method for ETI, however advanced techniques beyond DL are indicated in some patients. The purpose of this study is to describe trends of advanced ETI techniques in the critical care setting., Materials and Methods: Using the National Emergency Airway Registry for Children (NEAR4KIDS), advanced technique ETI quality improvement data were prospectively collected for ETIs in PICUs from April 2018 to September 2021. Those who underwent ETI with only DL or who underwent exchange of an existing endotracheal tube were excluded., Results: A total of 79 patients underwent advanced technique ETI with a median age of 8 (IQR 1-17) years. Advanced technique ETI was successful on the first attempt in 46.8 % of cases, with an overall success rate of 91.1 %. 1.3 % of patients received emergent surgical airway management. The most utilized advanced ETI technique was video laryngoscopy, followed by flexible bronchoscopy, and intubation through a laryngeal mask airway (LMA). The provider discipline ultimately successful in performing advanced technique ETI was most often pediatric critical care medicine (n = 26, 32.9 %), followed by anesthesia (n = 20, 25.3 %), and otolaryngology (n = 16, 20.3 %)., Conclusion: While often indicated in challenging clinical scenarios, advanced ETI techniques are ultimately successful in the vast majority of cases. Advanced technique ETI is a highly multidisciplinary process., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: In recent years, the clinical efficacy of medications for adenoid hypertrophy has been demonstrated. Topical nasal steroids have effects to shrink hypertrophic adenoids and improve symptoms of associated diseases. However, the mechanism which topical steroid administrations cause adenoid shrinkage remains unclear, herein, sensitivity for topical steroids in the mucosal epithelium of adenoids was evaluated histologically by comparing with tonsils., Methods: Histological analysis was performed on adenoids and tonsils removed from 32 pediatric patients with adenoid hypertrophy. In hematoxylin-eosin-stained specimens, the morphology of the mucosal epithelium and eosinophil infiltration were evaluated. The expression of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR), interleukin (IL)-4, and IL-25 in the mucosal epithelium was evaluated, and the staining intensity was scored as 0 (none), 1 (weak), and 2 (strong). The number of eosinophils and expression scores of GR, IL-4, and IL-25 were statistically compared between adenoids and tonsils and analyzed correlations with adenoids sizes., Results: Adenoids were covered with ciliated epithelium, and eosinophils in the mucosal epithelium and submucosal area was higher than tonsils (p < 0.05). GR expression in the most superficial layer of the mucosal epithelium was observed in adenoids, and the expression intensity score was higher than that in tonsils (p < 0.05). IL-4 and IL-25 were more widely expressed in the mucosal epithelium of adenoids than in tonsils, and their expression intensity scores were also higher than in tonsils (p < 0.05). A correlation was found between adenoid size and the intensity of IL-25 expression in the adenoid epithelium (p < 0.05)., Conclusion: Eosinophilic inflammations in adenoids mucosal epithelium could be one of etiology of adenoid hypertrophy, and the GR and eosinophilic inflammation in the adenoids mucosal epithelium might be target of topical nasal steroids to shrink hypertrophic adenoids., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest All authors have no financial conflicts of interest disclose concerning this study and article., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: In the pediatric population, nasal septal perforations (NSP) are rare, and management is not well described. The use of various techniques has been reported in adults, including the use of interposition grafts, however this technique has not been described in the pediatric population. Our hypothesis is that the closure rate using absorbable d-lactide and l-lactide (each 50 %), polymer (PDLLA) plates as interposition grafts with temporalis fascia for NSP repair in the pediatric population will be an effective method compared to previous techniques., Methods: Chart review was performed on patients who underwent NSP repair before June 2021, results were compared to a prospective evaluation of an interposition plate graft for repair at a tertiary care children's hospital., Results: Fifteen patients via previous techniques and 5 patients via PDLLA and fascia graft were reviewed. Etiology of perforations included 45 % idiopathic, 25 % traumatic, and 15 % iatrogenic. In the previous techniques group, 10 were male, mean (median) age 14.4 years (15.2). Average size of NSP was 12.6 mm ± 6.6 mm (SD). 14/15 (93 %) patients had resolution of symptoms at 10-week follow-up, and 2/15 (13 %) required repeat repair. Five prospective patients were repaired with a PDLLA and fascia interposition graft, 4 were female, mean (median) age 14.6 years (Nassif and Scott, 2021 Feb 1) [14]. Average size of NSP was 11 mm ± 2.2 mm (SD). 100 % had resolution of symptoms at 10-week follow-up, 0 needed repeat surgery. No significant difference was found in size of NSP or in need for repeat procedure (p > 0.05) between the groups., Conclusion: Use of absorbable PDLLA interposition grafts with temporalis fascia for NSP repair in the pediatric population is effective at closing and resolving symptoms associated with NSP., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Tracheobronchial foreign body aspiration is a common pediatric emergency and a leading cause of accidental deaths in children. The diagnosis remains sometimes difficult even with physical examination, medical history, and basic X-rays. This challenge necessitates the performance of endoscopy under general anesthesia, regardless of the potential for serious complications. The benefit of strategies like expiratory chest X-rays to reduce unnecessary endoscopies remains uncertain. We evaluated the effectiveness of expiratory chest X-rays in detecting airway foreign bodies to potentially reduce the need for endoscopies., Methods: We retrospectively studied children with suspected foreign body aspiration who had X-ray and endoscopy., Results: A total of 70 children were included in the study. Out of these, 19 cases (27.1 %) showed pathological findings on standard chest X-rays. However, when expiratory chest X-rays were added, the number of pathological radiographies increased to 37 cases (52.9 %). Out of the 36 foreign bodies that were present, only 2 were not detected. Furthermore, 3 chest X-rays displayed pathological results, while the endoscopies indicated normal findings. Consequently, the overall sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value stood at 94.4 %, 91.1 %, 91.9 %, and 93.9 % respectively., Conclusion: The remarkable sensitivity of expiratory chest radiography can eliminate the need for unnecessary endoscopy, but it should be limited to centers lacking access to MDCT. The performance of endoscopy should only be considered when persistent clinical symptoms are observed during auscultation., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Otitis media (OM) has a high prevalence in childhood, and grommet insertion is the most common surgical treatment for OM. The public health system in Australia faces considerable strains, including high demand for Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) specialists. Extending the scope of practice for audiologists to manage post-operative care for children receiving grommets has the potential to alleviate this burden., Methods: This non-randomised, cross-sectional study investigated the efficacy and feasibility of an audiology-led clinic for managing paediatric patients after grommet insertion at a tertiary teaching hospital in Western Australia. Senior audiologists reviewed children at 6 weeks and 10 months post-operatively, escalating care to an ENT specialist if abnormalities were observed. Children with normal hearing and patent grommets were reviewed and discharged by the audiologist., Results: A total of 93 children were included (mean age 5.18 ± 2.25 years, range 1.59-11.46 years). At the 6-week review, 72/93 (77 %) presented with in-situ grommets and normal hearing, while 21/93 (22 %) were escalated for immediate ENT care. At the 10-month review, 54/72 (75 %) were discharged without further ENT intervention, and 18/72 (25 %) required additional ENT investigation., Conclusion: This study demonstrated that an audiology-led follow-up clinic for post-grommet insertion is a viable option, providing efficient, high-quality care. Two-thirds of paediatric patients did not require ENT input or review post-operatively. The results support interdisciplinary models of care, which could help address challenges faced by overburdened ENT services., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors of this paper declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: This study aimed to investigate how central sleep apnea (CSA) impacts sleep patterns in children with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)., Methods: Children undergoing polysomnography (PSG) were enrolled and sorted into two groups: those with OSA alone (Group A) and those with both OSA and CSA (CAI <1 nd: children with 10 % CSA or more and less than 50 %, Group B). Statistical analysis was conducted to compare sleep structure and clinical features between Group A and Group B., Results: Group B exhibited significantly higher respiratory events, apnea hypoventilation index, apnea index and oxygen desaturation index (ODI) compared to Group A (p < 0.05). Group B also showed higher total sleep time and arousal index than Group A (P < 0.05). The proportion of time spent in stage N3 was lower in Group B than in Group A (P < 0.05). Moreover, mean heart rate and minimum heart rate were higher in Group B compared to Group A (P < 0.05).Minimum oxygenation levels (including non-rapid eye movement (NREM) stages) were lowe in Group B than in Group A (P < 0.05). Additionally, the prevalence of positional obstructive sleep apnea (P-OSA) was greater in Group B than in Group A (P < 0.05)., Conclusion: In comparison to those with OSA alone, children with OSA and concurrent CSA exhibited distinct sleep patterns, including reduced N3uration, higher arousal index, longer respiratory events, higher ODI, and lower oxygen saturation, higher heart rate., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest No conflict of interest exits in the submission of this manuscript, and manuscript is approved by all authors for publication., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Children with cochlear implants (CIs) often lag behind children with normal hearing (NH) in early literacy skills. Furthermore, the development of language skills associated with their emergent literacy skills seems to depend on good auditory access. Supporting language acquisition and early literacy in children with CIs may prevent difficulties in primary school. The use of technology may facilitate auditory and speech recovery in children with CIs, but evidence on computer-based early literacy programs is limited., Objective: This study investigates (a) the effects of a computer-based program focusing on the syllabic method on the literacy skills of children with CIs (CIs group), comparing them with the literacy skills of a group of age-matched NH (normal hearing) peers (NHs group); (b) the associations between language and early literacy skills in the NHs group and between language, auditory and early literacy skills in the CIs group., Method: Nine prelingually deaf children with CIs (M = 61.11, SD = 6.90) with severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss and nine age-matched NH children participated in the program. Categories of Auditory Performance (CAP) as measures of children's auditory skills were collected. All participants were tested on phonological, morphosyntax (grammatical comprehension and repetition), and early literacy skills (syllable blending and segmentation, syllable and word reading) (T1). Next, all children participated in the computer-based program for 12 weeks. After the program was completed (T2), only early literacy tests were administered to the children., Results: Although, on average, both groups obtained higher scores in all literacy tasks at T2, the CIs group scored lower than the NHs group. In the CIs group, at T2 we found significant improvements in syllable segmentation (p = 0.042) and word reading (p = 0.035). In the NHs group, at T2 we found significant improvements in syllable segmentation (p = 0.034), syllable blending (p = 0.022), syllable reading (p = 0.008), and word reading (p = 0.009). We also found significant associations in both groups between measures of morphosyntax at T1 and measures of early literacy at T2. In addition, for the CIs group, we found significant associations between children's auditory performance at T1 and measures of morphosyntax at T1 and early literacy at T2., Conclusion: a computer-based program focused on the syllabic method could support children with CIs in acquiring emergent literacy abilities. The auditory performance of children with CIs seems to influence their morphosyntax and later early literacy skills., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The author is an Editorial Board Member/Editor-in-Chief/Associate Editor/Guest Editor for Child Care in Practice and was not involved in the editorial review or the decision to publish this article. The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the nasal airway resistance between the cleft and non-cleft sides in operated unilateral cleft lip (UCL) patients with varying severities at birth, as well as to assess the differences in nasal airway resistance between UCL patients and healthy individuals., Methods: This retrospective study was conducted on 112 UCL patients who have undergone primary lip reconstructions but not advanced surgeries as the study group and 20 healthy participants as the control group between February 2023 to March 2024. The study group patients were grouped based on the severity of their cleft lip at birth, divided into occult cleft lip group, incomplete cleft lip group, and complete cleft lip group. The anterior rhinomanometry was used to evaluate nasal resistance, including unilateral effective resistances during inspiration (Reffin), expiration (Reffex), and the entire breath (ReffT), as well as unilateral vertex resistance during inspiration (VRin) and expiration (VRex). The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was used to assess normality. Paired t-tests were utilized to analyze the differences in nasal resistance between the healthy and affected sides within the same group of patients. Student's t-test was used to analyze the differences in nasal resistance among patients with different degrees of cleft lip. A p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant., Results: The nasal resistances of the occult cleft and incomplete cleft lip groups showed no significant differences between the cleft and non-cleft sides, and were similar to the control group. However, in the complete cleft lip group, the cleft side nasal resistance was significantly higher than the non-cleft side and control group. Among the groups, the complete cleft lip group had significantly higher nasal resistances on the cleft side for Reffin, VRin, and ReffT compared to the occult cleft group., Conclusion: Understanding the nasal resistance of different degrees of operated UCL patients can benefit clinical diagnosis and treatment. Patients with complete cleft lip have more severe nasal obstruction on the cleft side, with greater impact on inhalation than exhalation. For these patients, treatment by an otolaryngologist is recommended to improve nasal airflow., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is a common heritable disorder affecting type 1 collagen. The sequelae of OI vary, but hearing loss is a significant complication with 46-58 % of patients having some degree of hearing loss. Previous studies have suggested patients with OI may have conductive, sensorineural, or mixed hearing loss. Majority of these studies focus on the adult population., Objectives: Identify a relationship between OI and hearing loss in the pediatric population., Methods: The TriNetx Analytics Network, a federated health research network that aggregates the de-identified electronic health record data of over 78 million patients across the United States, was queried for patients 18 years old or younger with a diagnosis of OI. Patients in this group with diagnosis of sensorineural, conductive, or mixed hearing loss were recorded. Patients with diagnoses of congenital cytomegalovirus, congenital inner ear malformations, and noise-induced hearing loss were excluded from analysis., Results: Out of 3256 patients 18 years old or younger with OI, 10.07 % (95 % CI: 9.06-11.16) had a history of any form of hearing loss, 5.71 % (95 % CI: 4.94-6.57) had conductive hearing loss, 3.01 % (95 % CI: 2.45-3.66) had sensorineural hearing loss, and 1.35 % (95 % CI: 0.98-1.81) had mixed hearing loss. Relative risks for diagnosis of any type of hearing loss, conductive hearing loss, sensorineural hearing loss, and mixed hearing loss were calculated: 5.90 (95 % CI 5.32-6.53), 5.08 (95 % CI 4.42-5.84), 6.18 (95 % CI 5.09-7.51), and 13.86 (95 % CI 10.33-18.59) respectively., Discussion: This study is the largest to date that describes a relationship between OI and conductive, sensorineural, and mixed hearing loss. Pediatric patients with OI are almost five times as likely to have any type of hearing loss. There was a significant increased risk in each subgroup, but conductive hearing loss was the most common for hearing loss in children with OI. The highest risk subtype when compared to controls was mixed hearing loss., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest Authors Chelsea Cleveland, Jamil Hayden, Tekin Baglam, and Todd Otteson have no disclosures to report., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: To assess the extent of staff exposure to aerosol generation in common pediatric otorhinolaryngological procedures (tonsillotomies, adenoidectomies, and tympanostomies) and determine the surgical phases responsible for most aerosol generation in these procedures., Methods: Aerosol generation was measured during 35 pediatric otolaryngological procedures using an Optical Particle Sizer that measures aerosol concentrations for particle sizes between 0.3 and 10.0 μm. The different phases of and instruments used in each procedure were logged. Operating room background aerosol levels and coughing were used as references., Results: Total aerosol concentrations were significantly higher during tonsillotomies and adenoidectomies when compared to tympanostomies (p = 0.011 and p = 0.042) and to empty room background aerosol concentrations (p = 0.0057 and p < 0.001). Aerosol concentration during tonsillotomies did not differ from coughing, which is considered as standard for high-risk aerosol procedures. During tympanostomies, aerosol concentrations were even lower than during perioperative concentrations. No statistically significant difference in aerosol generation comparing suction, electrocautery, cold instruments, and paracentesis was found., Conclusion: According to the results of this study, tympanostomies are low-risk aerosol-generating procedures. On the other hand, pediatric tonsillotomies produced aerosols comparable to coughing, pointing to them being significantly aerosol-producing procedures and viral transmission is theoretically possible intraoperatively., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors have no relevant financial or non-financial interests to disclose., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: This study aims to determine the overall incidence of medical and surgical admissions related to non-tuberculous mycobacterial cervicofacial lymphadenitis (NTMCL) and determine if rates vary by geographic region in the US. It also aims to assess if the relative frequency of varying treatment modalities for NTMCL differ among geographic regions., Study Design: Population-based inpatient registry analysis., Setting: Academic medical center., Methods: The Kids' Inpatient Database (2016 and 2019) was used to determine NTMCL-related admissions and common head and neck procedures performed during these admissions were identified. Analysis was performed on regional differences in demographic factors and procedures performed during NTMCL-related admissions., Results: There were 159 weighted admissions (1.31 per 100,000) for NTMCL in 2016 and 2019 in the US, with the Midwest having the highest proportion of NTML-related admissions (1.59:100,000). NTMCL-related admissions were 2.21 times as likely to be elective rather than non-elective in the Midwest when compared to all other geographic regions (p = 0.038). The Midwest was 2.83 times as likely to treat with surgery (p = 0.011), while the Northeast was negatively associated with performing procedures (OR 0.38; p = 0.026). In the Midwest, significantly more excisional surgeries were preformed when compared to other regions, with an OR of 2.98 (p = 0.003)., Conclusion: The Midwest had the highest incidence of pediatric NTMCL-related admissions and was more likely to perform excisional surgery as primary NTMCL treatment. Regions that rarely see pediatric NTMCL have a more inconsistent approach to management., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Traditional telemedicine follow-up proves unsuitable for home continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy in children with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). Accompanying advancements in mobile internet, this study explores the feasibility and effectiveness of a mobile communication and remote monitoring system as a novel bidirectional telemedicine approach to enhance adherence to home CPAP in children with OSAS., Methods: A prospective cohort utilizing bidirectional telemedicine follow-up from January to December 2022 (TM) was compared with a retrospective cohort receiving conventional phone follow-up from August 2018 to December 2021 (CP). Participants in TM group were subdivided into two groups based on the number of inquiries in the first week: a high-question group and a low-question group. The main endpoints included successful CPAP adaption and adherence at 2 months of follow-up., Results: The TM group exhibited a significantly lower termination rate within 2 months compared to the CP group (1/24 vs. 6/22, p = 0.037). In the first week of home CPAP, the high-question group reported shorter average nightly usage and fewer days with usage of ≥4 h compared to the low-question group (5 h per night vs. 8.5 h per night, 4.5 days vs. 7 days, both p < 0.001). However, the high-question group showed significant improvement in adherence from the second week onward for the remainder of the study period., Conclusions: Bidirectional telemedicine represents an effective and feasible method to improve adherence to home CPAP therapy in children with OSAS. Considering the costs, researchers recommend applying bidirectional telemedicine for at least 1 week to better enhance long-term adherence., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest No conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Objective: Peritonsillar abscess (PTA) is a common pediatric infection requiring drainage. Conscious Sedation (CS) can facilitate drainage in uncooperative children. However, it carries risks, especially if the airway is compromised. Moreover, evidence on its safety and efficacy is limited. This study examined the safety, pain reduction, and anxiety management of hospitalized pediatric patients treated for PTA under CS., Materials and Methods: We performed a prospective observational case series of 118 children aged 2-15 years with 155 PTA episodes, managed from 2016 to 2023. Conscious sedation was used in 42 episodes. Outcomes were compared among CS and non-CS (local anesthesia only). Complications assessed safety. Efficacy was evaluated by the amount of pus, hospitalization parameters, pain scores, and recurrence., Results: No significant differences were found regarding the demographic and presentation parameters except for younger age among the CS group (9 vs 11 years p = 0.001). One minor oxygen desaturation (2 %) event occurred with CS. Abscess drainage amount was greater with CS than non-CS, 4.9±4 mL vs. 3.2±2 mL, respectively (p = 0.03). Hospitalization stays were similar among groups. Maximum pain scores were lower with CS than non-CS, 1.4 ± 2 vs 4.2 ± 3 (p < 0.001); similarly, IV pain medication was used less frequently, 0.9 ± 1 vs. 1.6 ± 3 (p = 0.045), and the need for re-aspiration was less common 14 % vs. 28 % (p = 0.04), with CS than non-CS, respectively. The three-month recurrence rate was numerically lower with CS (5 % vs. 14 % non-CS)., Conclusions: Conscious sedation facilitates PTA drainage with excellent safety and improved efficacy compared to local anesthesia in children. Pain scores are reduced both during drainage and hospitalization. Our prospective data add to the limited evidence supporting CS as a viable option for abscess drainage in uncooperative pediatric patients. Further study is warranted to confirm potential long-term reductions in recurrence., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: To assess the influence of three factors using retrospective chart review: age at which 2nd cochlear implant (CI) is implanted, prior hearing aid (HA) experience in the 2nd CI ear, and long-term experience with bilateral cochlear implants (BICIs) on sound localization in children with sequential BICIs., Methods: Mean absolute error (MAE) in localizing speech noise of 60 children with sequential BICIs was compared across four age groups of the 2nd CI (1-5.0; 5.1-10.0; 10.1-14.0; & 14.1-19.0 years) and two extents of prior HA experience (more than and less than one year). MAE was also longitudinally analyzed after 4-6 years of experience with BICI involving 18 participants out of 60., Results: Children who received 2nd CI before five years of age demonstrated significantly better localization than those who received it after ten years of age. More than one year of prior HA experience in the 2nd CI ear and extensive experience with sequential BICIs significantly enhanced localization performance. Inter-implant intervals and age at the 2nd CI showed a significant positive correlation with the MAE (poorer localization)., Conclusion: The results indicate that age at 2nd CI is important in developing sound localization skills. Based on the results, obtaining 2nd CI within the first five years of life and no later than ten years old is recommended. The results also suggest that longer use of amplification before 2nd CI and prolonged BICI experience significantly fosters localization development., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors report there are no competing interests to declare., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

ObjectiveThis project was conducted to evaluate the loudness and acoustic parameters of toys designed for children. In addition, we investigated whether occluding the toys' speaker with tape would result in a significant loudness reduction; thereby potentially reducing the risk of noise induced hearing loss.MethodsTwenty-six toys were selected after an initial screening at two national retailers. Noise amplitudes at 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2, 4, and 8kHz were measured using a digital sound level meter at a distance of 0 and 30cm. The toys' speakers were then occluded using adhesive tape and the same acoustic parameters were re-measured.ResultsMean maximum noise amplitude of the toys at 0cm and 30cm was 104dBA (range, 97-125dBA) and 76dBA (range, 67-86dBA), respectively. Mean maximum noise amplitude after occlusion at 0cm and 30cm distances was 88dBA (range, 73-110dBA) and 66dBA (range, 55-82dBA), respectively, with a p-value

Objective: To determine whether implementation of an education-based intervention can sustainably improve upstream and downstream outcomes in intubated patients in a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) in a low-resource country., Design: Quality improvement study comparing airway-related morbidity in two previously studied patient cohorts pre-intervention (Epoch 1) and immediately post-intervention (Epoch 2) with a third cohort thirty-six months post-intervention (Epoch 3)., Setting: PICU of the largest public children's hospital in El Salvador., Patients: 147 patients under 18 years requiring intubation and mechanical ventilation (MV) met inclusion criteria in the long-term follow-up period and were consecutively sampled without exclusion (Epoch 3) (compared to 98 previously studied patients in the short-term follow-up period (Epoch 2))., Intervention: A low-cost, education-based intervention to close knowledge gaps, improve communication among PICU doctors, nurses, and respiratory therapists, and optimize patient outcomes., Measurements and Main Results: The primary outcome measure was change in unplanned extubation (UE) between Epochs 2 and 3. Other outcomes included use of cuffed endotracheal tubes (ETT), rate of elective ETT change and days of MV. The 17 % decrease in UE previously reported for Epoch 2 was sustained in Epoch 3. There was a statistically significant increase in use of cuffed ETT from 35.7 % in Epoch 2-55.1 % in Epoch 3 (p = 0.003, z-score -2.99). There was also a statistically significant mean difference in rate of elective ETT change per 100 MV days from Epoch 2 to Epoch 3 of 1.7 (p = 0.007; 95 % CI 0.15-0.84). There was no change in MV days from Epoch 2 to Epoch 3 (p-value 0.764; 95 % CI -1.48-2.02). Beyond these quantifiable results, many unanticipated practice changes were observed three years after the initial intervention., Conclusions: Sustained improvement in upstream and downstream outcomes (UE, cuffed ETT use, elective ETT change) for intubated patients in a low-resource PICU were observed three years after a low-cost, low-touch, education-based intervention., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: The neural response telemetry (NRT) is a standard procedure in cochlear implantation mostly used to determine the functionality of implanted device and to check auditory nerve responds to the stimulus. Correlation between NRT measurements and subjective threshold (T) and maximum comfort (C) levels has been reported but results are inconsistent, and it is still not clear which of the NRT measurements could be the most useful in predicting fitting levels., Purpose: In our study we aimed to investigate which NRT measurement corresponds better to fitting levels. Impedance (IMP), Evoked Action Potential (ECAP) threshold and amplitude growth function (AGF) slope values were included in the study. Also, we tried to identify cochlear area at which the connection between NRT measurements and fitting levels would be the most pronounced., Materials and Methods: Thirty-one children implanted with Cochlear device were included in this retrospective study. IMP, ECAP thresholds and AGF were obtained intra-operatively and 12 months after surgery at electrodes 5, 11 and 19 as representative for each part of cochlea. Subjective T and C levels were obtained 12 months after the surgery during cochlear fitting., Results: ECAP thresholds obtained 12 months after surgery showed statistically significant correlation to both T and C levels at all 3 selected electrodes. IMP correlated with C levels while AGF showed tendency to correlate with T levels. However, these correlations were not statistically significant for all electrodes., Conclusion: ECAP threshold measurements correlated to T and C values better than AGF slope and IMP. Measurements obtained twelve months after surgery seems to be more predictive of T and C values compared to intra-operative measurements. The best correlation between ECAP threshold and T and C values was found at electrode 11 suggesting NRT measurements at mid-portion cochlear region to be the most useful in predicting fitting levels., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None of the authors have any conflicts of interest regarding the submitted article. This research received no specific grant from any funding agency, commercial or not-for-profit sectors. Ethical approval from the Hospital Ethical Committee (Sisters of Charity University Hospital Center) was obtained. All authors have agreed with the manuscript submission and approved the final version of the manuscript., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: The present investigation examined how factors such as cleft type, age of primary palatal surgery, diagnosed syndromes, hearing problems, and malocclusions could predict persistent speech difficulties and the need for speech services in school-aged children with cleft palate., Methods: Participants included 100 school-aged children with cleft palate. Americleft speech protocol was used to assess the perceptual aspects of speech production. The logistic regression was performed to evaluate the impact of independent variables (IV) on the dependent variables (DV): intelligibility, posterior oral CSCs, audible nasal emission, hypernasality, anterior oral CSCs, and speech therapy required., Results: Sixty-five percent of the children were enrolled in (or had received) speech therapy. The logistic regression model shows a good fit to the data for the need for speech therapy (Hosmer and Lemeshow's χ 2 (8)=9.647,p=.291). No IVs were found to have a significant impact on the need for speech therapy. A diagnosed syndrome was associated with poorer intelligibility (Pulkstenis-Robinson's χ 2 (11)=7.120,p=.789). Children with diagnosed syndromes have about six times the odds of a higher hypernasality rating (Odds Ratio = 5.703) than others. The cleft type was significantly associated with audible nasal emission (Fisher'sexactp=.006). At the same time, malocclusion had a significant association with anterior oral CSCs (Fisher'sexactp=.005)., Conclusions: According to the latest data in the Cleft Registry and Audit Network Annual Report for the UK, the majority of children with cleft palate attain typical speech by age five. However, it is crucial to delve into the factors that may influence the continuation of speech disorders beyond this age. This understanding is vital for formulating intervention strategies aimed at mitigating the long-term effects of speech disorders as individuals grow older., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest There's no financial/personal interest or belief that could affect the objectivity of this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Slide tracheoplasty has become the gold standard surgery for congenital tracheal stenosis (CTS). This condition is rare and the surgery can be challenging and is performed by experienced surgeons in tertiary centers. A few reports involving relatively small cohorts have been published. The aim of this review is to evaluate the post-operative mortality and morbidity of pediatric slide tracheoplasty for CTS., Methods: A systematic literature review was performed according to PRISMA guidelines. The Medline and EMBASE databases were screened using a search strategy defined in collaboration with a librarian. We included articles reporting the post-operative mortality rate of slide tracheoplasties for treatment of CTS in children, when at least 10 patients were included., Results: A total of 932 articles were reviewed, and 15 studies were eligible with a total of 845 patients. The overall post-operative mortality rate was 9.3 %, and most deaths were airway related. The open revision surgery rate after surgery was 2.8 % and the endoscopic revision rate was 27.6 %., Discussion: This study highlights key factors to consider before the surgery and helps anticipate post-operative follow-up considerations for children with CTS. Several factors were identified as predictors of mortality including young age, weight at the time of surgery and association with lung hypoplasia or aplasia., Conclusion: Although slide tracheoplasty has gained popularity in recent years due to better outcomes, it remains a major surgery with mortality risk and the need for multidisciplinary management., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Objectives: Children with hearing loss, as well as those with auditory processing disorder (APD), experience more communication difficulties than their normal-hearing peers. Receiving training on communication strategies has been shown to be beneficial for children with hearing loss, but little is known on the effect of such training on children with APD. The main purpose of this pilot study was to assess the effects of a repair strategies training program among children with APD., Methods: Ten school-aged children with APD participated in a ten 60-min weekly repair strategies training program (experimental group) and ten did not receive any training (control group). In pre- and post-intervention, children were filmed while taking part in short scripted conversation situations in which communication breakdowns were introduced. Additionally, questionnaires on communication difficulties and repair skills, on life habits related to communication and education as well as on emotional well-being were filled by the children and their parents., Results: In post-compared to in pre-intervention, children in the experimental group used significantly more of the repair strategies taught right after a communication breakdown occurred, used a greater variety of repair strategies, and overcame more communication breakdowns. The number of strategies needed to overcome a breakdown was not significantly different after the training compared to before. The level of difficulty to accomplish education-related life habits was generally lower, although not significantly, after entering the program than before. The individualized data showed that the studied training was more suited for children aged 9 years and older. The results of the children in the control group were not significantly different between the two measured times on all outcomes., Conclusion: Learning how to recognize and overcome communication breakdowns through a training program was beneficial for children with APD. The program enabled them to use a wider variety of repair strategies and to be more proactive in situations where communication is difficult. Studies are needed to further examine these findings in a larger sample of children with APD and in real-life settings., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest This research was funded by the "Nouvelles initiatives 2015–2016″ program of the Centre of Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation of Greater Montreal (CRIR). S.P. and M.P. are the authors of the repair strategies training program., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Cervicofacial lymphadenitis caused by non-tubercular mycobacterial (NTM) infections has the highest infection rate in children. Our objective was to assess patient demographics, treatment methods, and the impact of weather and geography on the incidence of disease in patients with NTM cervicofacial lymphadenitis., Methods: The Pediatric Health Information System (PHIS) database was queried for data on all patients diagnosed with concurrent cervicofacial lymphadenopathy and NTM infection from 2004 to 2022. We assessed the association between weather patterns and NTM cervicofacial lymphadenitis by collecting monthly weather data from the NOAA National Center for Environmental Information. Incidence rates were calculated by dividing the number of cases by the total hospital discharges during the study period., Results: Among 47 PHIS hospitals, there were 992 diagnoses of NTM cervicofacial lymphadenitis. The average age at diagnosis was 2 [IQR, 2-4], with 59 % female. Drainage of skin abscesses or lesions was performed for 93 (9.4 %) patients, while 15 (1.5 %) had an excisional procedure of the CPT codes assessed. The most common antibiotics utilized were cephalosporins (28 %), macrolides (27 %), and rifampin (12 %). The most common treatment method was surgery with antibiotics (37 %) followed by no treatment at all (35 %), surgery alone (17 %), and antibiotics alone (10 %). Of the 28 states included in the analysis, Washington (IR: 3.5) and Nebraska (IR: 3.3) had the highest incidence rates (IR) of NTM cervical lymphadenitis. The cases were relatively equally distributed across the different weather seasons within each U.S. geographic region. However, the overall average wind speed was weakly associated with increasing the risk of diagnosis when utilizing a mixed effect zero-inflated negative binomial model (Incidence Ratio: 1.07, 95 % CI: (1.01-1.14), p = 0.035)., Conclusions: Our results indicate that the most common treatment method utilized in patients within our cohort with NTM cervicofacial lymphadenitis was the concurrent use of surgery and antibiotics. Our results also indicate there may be variation in the incidence rate among different states, but additional studies are needed as our cohort only included approximately 50 % of states within the U.S., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors have no conflicts of interest to report in the declaration of interest form., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Postoperative hypocalcaemia is common after thyroidectomy. This study aimed to evaluate whether a standardised post-thyroidectomy protocol using prophylactic calcium and calcitriol reduces hypocalcaemia incidence after total thyroidectomy in children and adolescents., Methods: A cohort children and adolescents ≤18 years of age undergoing total thyroidectomy between January 2016 and October 2022 in one institution were retrospectively identified and divided into pre-protocol and post-protocol groups. The primary outcome measure was hypocalcaemia (total serum calcium of <2.0 mmol/L; ionised serum calcium of 0.9 mmol/L). Secondary outcome measures were the occurrence of hypercalcaemia (serum Calcium >2.7 mmol/L; ionised calcium >1.31 mmol/L), length of hospitalisation and number of postoperative blood tests., Results: There were 22 patients in each group (mean age 11.8; SD 4.3 years, female 36 %). The rate of hypocalcaemia was significantly higher in the pre-protocol group than the post-protocol group (54 % vs 13.6 %, p = 0.010). Patients in the pre-protocol group had more inpatient blood tests (mean 5.4; SD 3.2) than the post-protocol group (mean 3.3; SD 1.8, p = 0.011), although the total postoperative blood test count was similar between the groups. Six (13.6 %) patients developed hypercalcaemia. The rate of hypercalcaemia was similar between groups (pre-protocol 2, 9.1 %; post-protocol 4, 18.1 %; p = 0.664). Length of hospitalisation was similar between groups., Conclusion: Our standardized protocol decreased hypocalcemia and inpatient blood tests after total thyroidectomy in children. Future research should explore if incorporating preoperative calcium and calcitriol treatment, along with intraoperative PTH levels for risk management, can further reduce hypocalcemia rates in paediatric patients., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Atraumatic cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) rhinorrhea is uncommon in children and necessitates a multi-disciplinary evaluation for an etiology. Underlying osseous abnormality due to extensive or multifocal low flow vascular anomaly should be considered as a potential cause of spontaneous CSF leak. Treatment of multifocal low flow vascular anomalies may include medical and surgical approaches. In this series, we seek to determine the presenting signs and symptoms and medical and surgical treatment options for multifocal or extensive low flow vascular anomalies., Methods: A retrospective case series at a quaternary care children's hospital was compiled. All children with CSF rhinorrhea diagnosed and treated for multifocal low flow vascular anomalies at our institution were included. A total of four patients were identified., Results: All four patients had delay in initial diagnosis of underlying cause of meningitis and CSF rhinorrhea. Average age at diagnosis of multifocal low flow vascular anomaly was 7 years. This was on average 4 years after initial presentation for medical attention. Treatment approach was multidisciplinary and included medical management with sirolimus and bisphosphonates as well as surgical approaches to the skull base (lateral and anterior) to prevent CSF egress., Conclusion: Consideration of multifocal low flow vascular anomaly should be included in any pediatric patient presenting with CSF rhinorrhea., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of otitis media and other otolaryngologic disorders in children with Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) compared to those without OSA in a large cohort., Methods: A retrospective cohort study was carried within the US Collaborative Network within TriNetX. The OSA group was defined by ICD-10 code G47.33 and non-OSA group excluded patients with OSA. Both groups were required to have a CPT code for an outpatient visit to act as a control: 99202-99215. Propensity score matching for age, sex, and race was performed. Prevalence of otitis media (ICD-10H65, H66), chronic otitis media (ICD-10H66.1, H66.2, H66.3, H65.2, H65.3, and H65.4), tympanostomy (CPT 69433, 69436), adenoidectomy (CPT 42830, 42831), tonsillectomy (CPT 42825, 42826), adenotonsillectomy (CPT 42820, 42821), and allergic rhinitis (ICD-10 J30.9) were compared in this cohort., Results: Propensity score matching yielded 165,665 (M = 95949, F = 69901) patients with a mean age of 10.7 (SD = 4.07) for each cohort. Children with OSA were 1.27x and 3.86x more likely to be diagnosed with otitis media and chronic otitis media, respectively (P<.0001). They were 3.81x more likely to undergo a tympanostomy (P<.0001). Children with OSA were 4.1x, 18.2x, and 24.7x more likely undergo an adenoidectomy, tonsillectomy, and adenotonsillectomy, respectively (P<.0001). Children with OSA were also 2.03x as likely to have a diagnosis of allergic rhinitis (P<.0001)., Conclusion: Children with OSA experience otitis media and related surgical intervention more than children without OSA. Since allergic rhinitis and adenoid hypertrophy are contributors to both OSA and AOM, their increased prevalence in children with OSA may explain their increased frequency of AOM., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background and Objectives: Lexical tone presents challenges to cochlear implant (CI) users especially in noise conditions. Bimodal hearing utilizes residual acoustic hearing in the contralateral side and may offer benefits for tone recognition in noise. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate tone recognition in both steady-state noise and multi-talker babbles by the prelingually-deafened, Mandarin-speaking children with unilateral CIs or bimodal hearing., Methods: Fifty-three prelingually-deafened, Mandarin-speaking children who received CIs participated in this study. Twenty-two of them were unilateral CI users and 31 wore a hearing aid (HA) in the contralateral ear (i.e., bimodal hearing). All subjects were tested for Mandarin tone recognition in quiet and in two types of maskers: speech-spectrum-shaped noise (SSN) and two-talker babbles (TTB) at four signal-to-noise ratios (-6, 0, +6, and +12 dB)., Results: While no differences existed in tone recognition in quiet between the two groups, the Bimodal group outperformed the Unilateral CI group under noise conditions. The differences between the two groups were significant at SNRs of 0, +6, and +12 dB in the SSN conditions (all p < 0.05), and at SNRs of +6 and +12 dB of TTB conditions (both p < 0.01), but not significant at other conditions (p > 0.05). The TTB exerted a greater masking effect than the SSN for tone recognition in the Unilateral CI group as well as in the Bimodal group at all SNRs tested (all p < 0.05). Among demographic or audiometric variables, only age at implantation showed a weak but significant correlation with the mean tone recognition performance under the SSN conditions (r = -0.276, p = 0.045). However, when Bonferroni correction was applied to the correlation analysis results, the weak correlation became not significant., Conclusion: Prelingually-deafened children with CIs face challenges in tone perception in noisy environments, especially when the noise is fluctuating in amplitude such as the multi-talker babbles. Wearing a HA on the contralateral side when residual hearing permits is beneficial for tone recognition in noise., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Introduction: COVID-19 has disproportionately affected healthcare access of certain minority groups, and thus could contribute to delay in timely evaluation and management of pediatric obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Socioeconomic status (SES) is known to affect healthcare access in pediatric otolaryngology and may also be a risk factor for OSA and its associated co-morbidities., Objectives: Our primary objective is to determine the impact of COVID-19 on time to diagnosis (TTD) and time to treatment (TTT) of polysomnography (PSG)-proven moderate to severe pediatric OSA in different socioeconomic classes. Secondary objectives include determining the impact of racial and demographic factors on TTD and TTT., Methods: This is a retrospective chart review of 120 children; 60 children pre-COVID (February 2018 to February 2020), and 60 children post-COVID onset (March 2020 to March 2022). This study was performed at a pediatric teaching hospital and tertiary referral center, and involved children aged 3-17 years old with outpatient PSG-proven moderate to severe OSA. Approval was obtained from our hospital's institutional review board (IRB)., Results: There were a total of 120 children, 60 in each group. The average age was 9.5 years old; females constituted 41.6 % of the sample. TTD increased from 53.7 days pre-covid to 103 days post-COVID onset in all children (p = 0.00), 42.5 days-151.9 days in white children (p = 0.00), 38 days-142.7 days in children with high SES (p = 0.00), 32.1 days-146.5 days in children with private insurance (p = 0.00), and 65.7 days-105.8 days in children with public insurance (p = 0.04). TTT did not change significantly., Conclusion: Our results show that TTD of OSA and obesity in advantaged groups were affected to a greater degree than disadvantaged groups. This suggests children of all socioeconomic groups are susceptible to healthcare disparities and the COVID-19 pandemic has uncovered the vulnerability of such populations. Policymakers should consider providing more funding and support for all children, including continued funding for those with lower SES., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest We have no conflicts of interest or funding sources to report., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of coordinated endoscopy with otolaryngology, pulmonology, and gastroenterology in diagnosing and managing chronic aspiration in pediatric patients., Methods: We reviewed our REDCap Pediatric Aerodigestive Database for patients with chronic aspiration who underwent coordinated endoscopy between January 2013 and July 2023. Patient demographics, comorbidities, operative findings, interventions, and outcomes were reviewed., Results: Forty-nine patients were identified with a diagnosis of aspiration. Their mean (SD) age was 28 (36) months (range 1.2-163 months) with more than half of the patients younger than 24 months. The most common findings noted on combined endoscopies were laryngeal cleft (n = 30), positive bacterial culture (n = 18), positive viral PCR (n = 17), and active reflux-induced esophagitis/gastritis (n = 9). Patients with a positive bacterial culture were associated with a history of recurrent pneumonia (p = 0.009). There were no other significant associations between endoscopy findings and patient demographics, co-morbidities, or symptoms. Twenty-five (51 %) had multiple abnormalities identified by at least 2 different specialists at the time of endoscopy and 6 patients (12 %) had abnormalities across all three specialists., Conclusion: Coordinated endoscopy should be considered in pediatric patients presenting with aspiration on MBS or non-specific symptoms suggestive for chronic aspiration for comprehensive diagnosis and management., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None, (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Self-report instruments are commonly used in tinnitus clinics, but they are presently available only for adults. There is a lack of a validated multi-item instrument to capture tinnitus-related problems in children and their impact on everyday life. This study has developed and validated a specifically child-centered questionnaire to assess the impact of tinnitus., Methods: Development of the tool consisted of several stages. Following a pilot study on 12 children with tinnitus, a validation study was done on a further 192 children with tinnitus aged between 11 and 14 years. The children had an audiological examination, completed a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and the newly framed questionnaire., Results: The development and validation process resulted in the new 11-item Children's Tinnitus Questionnaire (CTQ). It includes items concerning the impact of tinnitus on functional, cognitive, emotional and social domains. The validity of the new tool has been established by finding significant correlations between it and VAS loudness (r = 0.42), VAS annoyance (r = 0.67), and VAS coping (r = -0.41). Validity has also been confirmed by measuring differences in CTQ scores and 4 groups of children having graded incidences of tinnitus. The internal consistency assessed with Cronbach's alpha was high (α = 0.82)., Conclusion: The Children's Tinnitus Questionnaire (CTQ) is the first fully validated multi-item instrument designed specifically for children. The tool has the potential to become a valuable new instrument for use in clinical practice and research; it might be useful for assessing the impact of tinnitus on those children who find that the condition creates problems in their everyday life., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Subperiosteal orbital abscesses (SPOA) are the most common suppurative complications of acute bacterial sinusitis. Medial SPOAs arise from infection of the ipsilateral ethmoid sinus and favor initial conservative management reserving surgical drainage for patients who do not demonstrate clinical improvement. No standard algorithm defining medical versus surgical treatment of medial SPOAs exist in the pediatric population., Objectives: To identify a size cutoff for medial SPOAs to predict the likelihood for surgical drainage., Methods: This is a retrospective review of patients with medial SPOAs at a tertiary care center from 2003 to 2017. Diagnosis of SPOA was based on radiographic findings. Variables included are patient demographics, antibiotic therapy, surgical intervention, and length of stay., Results: 82 patients with a medial SPOA were included with an average age at presentation of 6.27 (range 0-15) years were included in this study. 62 patients were male (75.6 %), and 20 were female (24.4 %). The average abscess length was 16.1 mm, range 4.5-30.7 mm. The average abscess width was 4.17 mm, range 1.5-14.6 mm. The odds ratio for surgical treatment with every 1 mm increase in abscess width was 1.89 (95CI:1.33-2.69, p < 0.001). Abscesses over 3.6 mm width were 6.65 times more likely to undergo surgical drainage than those less than 3.6 mm (OR:6.65, 95CI:2.52-17.54, p < 0.001). The average(SD) length of stay was 5.4(3.0) days for patients who underwent surgery and 4.0(0.9) days for patients treated with conservative measures, p < 0.001., Conclusion: Medial SPOAs greater than 3.6 mm were more likely to undergo surgical drainage; however there was no difference in the likelihood of drainage between anteriorly and posteriorly based medial abscesses. These findings help further characterize the landscape of pediatric subperiosteal abscesses that are managed with surgical drainage., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest There are no conflicts of interest to report for any author., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Background: Down syndrome is associated with an increased risk for otitis media with effusion (OME), a childhood condition in which fluid accumulates in the middle ear, potentially leading to hearing loss. The American Academy of Pediatrics Down syndrome guidelines and the American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery OME guidelines recommend hearing testing to assess the hearing status of children with Down syndrome diagnosed with OME., Methods: Through an Institutional Review Board approved retrospective chart review at Children's Mercy, this project assessed how clinical factors affect the frequency in which children with Down syndrome receive hearing testing after diagnosis of OME. The study included data from all children with Down syndrome between 1 and 8 years old diagnosed with OME in the Down syndrome, general pediatrics, and otolaryngology clinics between 2018 and 2020. Demographics and clinical factors, including clinic setting, were collected., Results: Of the 124 patients identified, 91.1 % were diagnosed with OME in the otolaryngology clinic and 33.1 % received hearing testing. While most diagnoses occurred in the otolaryngology clinic, a higher proportion of hearing testing at the time of diagnosis occurred in the Down syndrome clinic. This could be explained by the fact that the Down syndrome clinic is a multidisciplinary clinic, where yearly visits include hearing screening. Bivariate analysis using chi-square or Fisher's tests showed that clinic setting had a significant association (p-value <0.001) with hearing testing. However, logistic regression depicted all clinical factors had an insignificant effect on hearing testing at 5 % significance., Conclusion: While results indicate hearing testing is largely not performed to assess OME early in otolaryngology clinics, they may be used to assess intervention efficacy post-diagnosis. Results point to the importance of Down syndrome clinics in early diagnosis of hearing loss leading to timely referrals to otolaryngology clinics which diagnose and manage OME in children with Down syndrome., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None declared., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Laryngomalacia is the most common pediatric laryngeal anomaly. The pathophysiology of laryngomalacia is not well defined; the leading hypothesis suggests weak laryngeal tone and neuromuscular discoordination. Only a few studies explored the histopathology of the laryngeal submucosal nerves, with reported nerve hypertrophy. Our study aims to describe the histopathology of submucosal nerves in specimens obtained from children with severe laryngomalacia compared to pediatric cadaveric controls., Study Design: Prospective study., Settings: Tertiary care children's hospital., Methods: Histologic and immunohistochemical sections of supraglottic tissue from 26 children with severe laryngomalacia and six pediatric autopsies were digitally scanned and assessed with image analysis software (QuPath), resulting in the identification and measurement of 4561 peripheral nerves and over 100,000 foci of neurofilaments., Results: Chronic inflammation was noted in all patients. Eosinophils were rare. The mean nerve area and perimeter were significantly smaller for patients with laryngomalacia compared to the control group (1594.0 ± 593.2 μm^2 vs. 2612.1 ± 2824.0 μm^2, p < 0.0001, and 158.8 ± 30.3 μm vs. 217.6 ± 165.0 μm, p < 0.0001). Nerve-per-area unit was significantly greater for patients with laryngomalacia compared to controls (1.39E-05 vs. 6.19 E-06, p = 0.009). The mean area and the number of neurofilaments per total nerve area were similar. Immunohistochemistry for calretinin, a marker for intestinal ganglion cells in Hirschsprung disease, was absent from all specimens., Conclusions: This series includes a comparison of all identifiable nerve fibers obtained from children with severe laryngomalacia and shows that the mucosal nerves are smaller on average than controls. These findings fail to provide support for significant morphologic peripheral nerve pathology in laryngomalacia., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest none., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Objective: Otitis media with effusion (OME) is a prevalent and costly disease, especially in children. This article analyzed the expression patterns and clinical significance of T helper-1 (Th1)/Th2 cytokines in the peripheral blood of children with OME and allergic rhinitis (AR)., Methods: Subjects were assigned to the OME + AR group and the Control group (children with OME), with their clinical baseline data documented. The correlations between Th1/Th2 cytokines and between the total nasal symptom score (TNSS) and Th1/Th2 cytokines were analyzed. The risk factors and the predictive value of Th1/Th2 cytokines for OME + AR were analyzed using logistics multivariate regression analysis and receiver operating characteristic curve., Results: Significant differences were observed in tympanic pressure/speech frequency/air conduction valve/TNSS score/immunoglobulin E (IgE) level between both groups. The OME + AR children exhibited evidently elevated interleukin-2 (IL-2)/tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)/IL-4/IL-10/IL-6 levels and no significant difference in interferon-γ (IFN-γ) level. Th1/Th2 cytokines were remarkably positively-correlated with the TNSS score. IL-2/TNF-α/IL-4/IL-6 were risk factors for OME with AR. The area under the curves (AUCs) of IL-6/IL-2/IL-4/TNF-α levels in predicting the occurrence of OME + AR were 0.805/0.806/0.775/0.781, with sensitivities of 75.76 %/89.39 %/72.21 %/72.73 % and specificities of 74.29 %/61.34 %/72.86 %/70.00 %, and the cut-off values were 239.600/20.300/29.880/34.800 (pg/mL). The AUC of their combination in predicting OME + AR was 0.955 (93.94 % sensitivity, 85.71 % specificity)., Conclusion: Th1/Th2 cytokine levels were imbalanced and obviously positively-correlated with the TNSS score in OME + AR children. IL-2, TNF-α, IL-4, and IL-6 levels had auxiliary predictive value in the occurrence of OME + AR., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: Recurrent and primary tracheoesophageal fistulas (TEFs) are a challenging surgical pathology to treat, as standard open surgical approaches are associated with high morbidity and mortality. As such, endoscopic modalities have gained interest as an alluring alternative, yet variable success rates have been reported in the literature. The aim of this study was to provide a contemporary update of the literature and describe our institutional experience with the bronchoscopic obliteration of recurrent and primary TEFs., Methods: Retrospective chart review of all pediatric patients having undergone endoscopic TEF repair at two pediatric academic centers in Montreal, Canada and Lille, France between January 1, 2008 to December 31, 2020., Results: 28 patients with TEFs (20 recurrent, 8 primary) underwent a total of 48 endoscopic procedures. TEF repair was performed under endoscopic guidance using various combinations of techniques, including fistula de-epithelialization (endoscopic brush, thulium laser, trichloroacetic acid-soaked pledgets or electrocautery), tissue adhesives, submucosal augmentation, esophageal clip and stenting. Successful closure was achieved in 16 patients (57 %), while 12 (43 %) required eventual open or thoracoscopic repair. The mean number of endoscopic procedures was 1.7. There were no major treatment-related complications such as pneumothorax, mediastinitis or death (mean follow-up 50.8 months)., Conclusions: Endoscopic repair of recurrent or primary TEFs is a valuable component of our therapeutic armamentarium and may contribute to decreased surgical morbidity in this complex patient population. Families should be counselled that endoscopic results may be more modest than with open or thoracoscopic approaches, and multiple procedures may be required., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors have no competing interests to declare., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the clinical efficacy and safety of sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) using standardized dermatophagoides farina drops for the treatment of allergic rhinitis (AR) in children sensitized to dust mites combined with different allergens. The findings contribute to establishing a preliminary foundation for future in-depth studies on AR treatment., Methods: A total of 152 AR children undergoing SLIT were categorized into two groups based on serological test results: the inhalation group (dust mite combined with inhalation allergy) and the ingestion group (dust mite combined with ingestion allergy). The clinical efficacy and safety were evaluated by assessing the total nasal symptoms score (TNSS), total medication scores (TMS), visual analog scale scores (VAS scores), and the incidence of adverse reactions before treatment and after two years of treatment., Results: After two years of treatment, TNSS, TMS, and VAS scores significantly improved compared to pre-treatment values in both the inhalation and ingestion groups (p < 0.05). However, there were no significant differences in efficacy between the two groups after two years of treatment (p > 0.05). During the treatment period, only 15 cases (10.9 %, 9 cases in the inhalation group and 6 cases in the ingestion group) experienced mild adverse reactions. There was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions between the two groups (p > 0.05)., Conclusion: SLIT using standardized dermatophagoides farina drops demonstrates long-term efficacy in children with AR, regardless of whether they belong to the inhalation or ingestion group, without significant differences in treatment outcomes., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest regarding the publication of this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)