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Anaerobe 2019 Feb 14. Epub 2019 Feb 14.

Marmara University, School of Medicine, Department of Microbiology, Istanbul, Turkey.

We have reported a case of mastoiditis which progressed to meningitis in a 16-year old male patient. CSF (cerebrospinal fluid) anaerobic culture revealed four species of isolated anaerobic bacteria. This is the first case in the literature in which a patient survived childhood polymicrobial anaerobic meningitis diagnosed by MALDI-TOF MS (Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization - Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry) . Read More

Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol 2019 Feb 5;120:51-57. Epub 2019 Feb 5.

Office of Senior DVC and Provost, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia. Electronic address:

Objectives: Regulatory T lymphocytes (T) have been linked to survival of commensal bacteria at mucosal sites, but their presence and role in chronic otitis media (COM) and their response to otopathogens has not been evaluated previously. We investigated the association between T lymphocytes and otopathogens in COM prone and non-COM prone children.

Methods: Forty children, 2-7 years of age, scheduled for adenoidectomy were enrolled into COM (n = 20) or non-COM (n = 20) groups. Read More

Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol 2019 Feb 6;120:44-50. Epub 2019 Feb 6.

Dpt of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Lund University Hospital, Sweden. Electronic address:

Background: Otitis media with effusion (OME) and recurrent otitis media (rAOM) are two common diagnoses in childhood, both of which are treated with grommets, or ventilation tubes. It is known that affected children have a worse quality of life (QoL), and various questionnaires have been used to evaluate this. The national Swedish quality register for grommet insertions contains some QoL questions that have hitherto never been analysed. Read More

World Neurosurg 2019 Feb 13. Epub 2019 Feb 13.

Dep. of Neurosurgery and Neurooncology, Charles University in Prague, 1st Medical Faculty, Central Military Hospital Stresovice, Czech Republic. Electronic address:

Background: Pneumocephalus is commonly associated with cranial trauma including surgical interventions. Spontaneous pneumocephalus on the other hand is a rare diagnosis. Reported cases were predominantly unilateral. Read More

Sci Rep 2019 Feb 15;9(1):2157. Epub 2019 Feb 15.

School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, 2500, Australia.

Streptococcus pneumoniae (S. pneumoniae) is a leading human pathogen, which takes large responsibility for severe otitis media, acute meningitis and septicaemia. It encodes up to three distinct sialidases: NanA, NanB and NanC, which are promising drug targets. Read More

BMC Infect Dis 2019 Feb 15;19(1):168. Epub 2019 Feb 15.

Children's Hospital of Michigan, Detroit, MI, USA.

Background: The etiology and epidemiology of acute otitis media (AOM) are poorly understood in China. This study aimed to describe the etiology of AOM and the phenotypic and molecular characteristics of AOM-causing Streptococcus pneumoniae (S.pneumoniae) recovered from Chinese children. Read More

Clin Infect Dis 2019 Feb 16. Epub 2019 Feb 16.

Department of Health Policy, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.

Introduction: The impact of 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) introduction on the occurrence of first and subsequent otitis media (OM) episodes in early childhood is unclear. We compared the risk of OM episodes among children age <2 years before and after PCV13 introduction accounting for the dependence between OM episodes.

Methods: We identified consecutive annual (July-June) cohorts of Tennessee Medicaid-enrolled children (2006-2014) from birth through age two years. Read More

Am Fam Physician 2019 Feb;99(4):248-252

University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.

Manipulative therapies include osteopathic manipulative treatment and many other forms of manual therapies used to manage a variety of conditions in adults and children. Spinal manipulative therapy may provide short-term improvement in patients with acute or chronic low back pain, comparable with other standard treatments. When compared with oral analgesics, cervical manipulation and/or mobilization appears to provide better short-term pain relief and improved function in patients with neck pain. Read More

Nutrients 2019 Feb 12;11(2). Epub 2019 Feb 12.

Department of Nutrition and Food Science, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain.

Acute otitis media (AOM) is one of the most common bacterial infections in children. Empiric antibiotherapy leads to increasing antimicrobial resistance rates among otopathogens and may impair the correct development of the microbiota in early life. In this context, probiotics seem to be an attractive approach for preventing recurrent AOM (rAOM) through the restoration of the middle ear and nasopharyngeal microbiota. Read More

Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 2019 Feb 13. Epub 2019 Feb 13.

Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, Istanbul Medeniyet University, Istanbul, Turkey.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the ossicular chain erosions (OCE) in chronic otitis media patients with cholesteatoma (COM-C) or without cholesteatoma (COM).

Materials And Methods: The OCE and preoperative hearing levels of a total of 915 patients were evaluated retrospectively. Patients were divided into three groups. Read More

Vaccine 2019 Feb 8. Epub 2019 Feb 8.

Sanofi Pasteur, 1541 Avenue Marcel Merieux, 69820 Marcy-l'Étoile, France. Electronic address:

Background: A multi-season phase III trial conducted in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres demonstrated the efficacy of a quadrivalent split-virion inactivated influenza vaccine (IIV4) in children 6-35 months of age.

Methods: Data collected during the phase III trial were analysed to examine the vaccine efficacy (VE) of IIV4 in preventing laboratory-confirmed influenza in age subgroups and to determine the relative risk for IIV4 vs. placebo for severe outcomes, healthcare use, and parental absenteeism from work associated with laboratory-confirmed influenza. Read More

Otol Neurotol 2019 Mar;40(3):351-358

Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospital Zurich and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.

Objective: There are no instruments available to comprehensively assess health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in chronic otitis media (COM) in Italian-speaking countries. The Zurich chronic middle ear inventory (ZCMEI-21) is a well-established instrument for the assessment of HRQoL in COM. The objective of this study was to translate and cross-culturally adapt the ZCMEI-21 into Italian and validate this questionnaire for measuring HRQoL in patients with COM. Read More

Otol Neurotol 2019 Mar;40(3):e173-e177

Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, Virginia.

Objectives: Although many techniques have been proposed for the repair of tympanic membrane perforations, few address the unique challenges presented by anterior marginal perforations. In these circumstances, traditional underlay and overlay techniques are often complicated by issues including blunting of the anterior tympanomeatal angle, graft lateralization, delayed healing, and reduced graft take rates. The "window shade" tympanoplasty technique described in this paper incorporates several aspects of the underlay and overlay techniques to address these issues. Read More

Cochlear Implants Int 2019 Feb 11:1-6. Epub 2019 Feb 11.

d Department of Neurosurgery , Children's Hospital , New Orleans , LA , USA.

Objective: Cochlear implantation is routinely performed all over the world via the post-auricular, facial recess approach. Our case study describes the middle fossa approach for the management of bilateral profound sensorineural hearing loss in a female child with multiple external, middle and inner ear malformations. The middle fossa approach has been reported sporadically and has been used inconsistently in patients with chronic otitis media and inner ear malformations. Read More

Am J Case Rep 2019 Feb 10;20:175-178. Epub 2019 Feb 10.

Adult and Development Age Human Pathology, Gaetano Barresi Unit of Otorhinolaryngology, University of Messina, Messina, Sicily, Italy.

BACKGROUND The Say-Barber-Biesecker-Young-Simpson (SBBYS) variant of Ohdo syndrome is characterized by congenital hypothyroidism, facial dysmorphism, postaxial polydactyly, and mental retardation. The SBBYS variant of Ohdo syndrome is extremely rare with only 19 cases previously reported in the literature. A case is presented of chronic otitis media associated with cholesteatoma in a six-year-old boy with the SBBYS variant of Ohdo syndrome. Read More

Vaccine 2019 Feb 6. Epub 2019 Feb 6.

Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, 3508 GA Utrecht, the Netherlands; evidENT, Ear Institute, University College London, London, United Kingdom; NIHR UCLH Biomedical Research Centre, London W1T 7DN, United Kingdom. Electronic address:

Background: It has been hypothesized that widespread implementation of pneumococcal conjugate vaccination (PCV) in infancy reduces early AOM and thereby prevents further AOM episodes and associated health care resource use.

Methods: We tested this hypothesis by applying an extension of the original Cox proportional hazards model (Prentice, Williams and Petersons' total time) to individual AOM episodes recorded in pseudonymised primary care electronic health records of 18,237 Dutch children born between 2004 and 2015. Children were assigned to three groups: no-PCV (January 2004-March 2006), PCV7 (April 2006-February 2011) and PCV10 (March 2011-February 2015). Read More

Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol 2019 Feb 1;120:1-5. Epub 2019 Feb 1.

Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery, Amiens University Medical Center, Amiens, France. Electronic address:

Sci Rep 2019 Feb 7;9(1):1610. Epub 2019 Feb 7.

Department of Speech Language Pathology, College of Health Science, Honam University, Gwangju, Republic of Korea.

Although many studies have reported that allergic rhinitis is an independent risk factor highly related to otitis media in children, there is still lack of epidemiological studies on demographics. The objective of this study was to identify if allergic rhinitis was an independent risk factor for otitis media in children aged between 7 and 12 years by using the nationwide survey data representing the local population of South Korea. This is a secondary study based on the ENT examination data (eg. Read More

J Audiol Otol 2019 Feb 8. Epub 2019 Feb 8.

Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Jeju National University College of Medicine, Jeju, Korea.

Background And Objectives: To investigate the relationship between hearing impairment and alcohol drinking patterns in South Korean adults.

Subjects And Methods: Data collection was performed by Korean National Health and Nutrition Survey from January 1 to December 31, 2012. Data analyses were performed from February 20 to March 3, 2018. Read More

Rev Esp Quimioter 2019 Feb 5. Epub 2019 Feb 5.

Andrés Canut Blasco. Hospital Universitario de Álava (HUA). Spain.

Objective: To evaluate, by applying pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) analysis, if the change in antibiotic susceptibility after the introduction of the 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7) in Spain had any influence on the usefulness of the antimicrobials more frequently used as empirical treatment of pediatric acute otitis media (AOM).

Methods: PK parameters and susceptibility of Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae were obtained from bibliography. Monte Carlo simulation was used to estimate the cumulative fraction of response (CFR), understood as the expected probability of therapy success. Read More

Age Ageing 2019 Feb 6. Epub 2019 Feb 6.

Department of Geratology, John Radcliffe Hospital Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK.

A case report of a 94-year-old, previously well male patient who presented with fever thought to be caused by community acquired pneumonia, new unilateral hearing loss and reduced consciousness. Despite antibiotic treatment he continued to deteriorate. Brain imaging with computer tomography and magnetic resonance imaging revealed a left otomastoiditis with osteomyelitis of the skull base, associated with an adjacent subdural empyema. Read More

Saudi Med J 2019 Feb;40(2):199-201

Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, College of Medicine, King Khalid University, Abha, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. E-mail.

Objectives: To assess the outcome of a myringoplasty procedure during a 5-year period at a tertiary teaching hospital in Abha, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Methods: All patients with chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM) who underwent elective myringoplasty between August 2012 and February  2018 were included in the study. Patients were investigated preoperatively and postoperatively by pure tone audiometry (PTA). Read More

BJGP Open 2018 Dec 31;2(4):bjgpopen18X101620. Epub 2018 Oct 31.

Primary Health Care Sociologist and Postdoctoral Researcher, Department of Primary Care and Interdisciplinary Care, Antwerp University, Wilrijk, Belgium.

Background: Optimal pain management is accepted as the cornerstone of acute otitis media (AOM) management, but analgesics are neither prescribed routinely nor explicitly recommended in day-to-day practice.

Aim: To explore GPs views on and expectations regarding pain management in children with AOM, and how a multifaceted educational intervention aimed at optimising pain management shapes these perceptions.

Design & Setting: Qualitative study conducted alongside a cluster randomised controlled trial (cRCT), the PIMPOM study, in the Netherlands. Read More

J Pediatr 2019 Feb 2. Epub 2019 Feb 2.

FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland; Department of Psychiatry, Turku University Hospital and University of Turku, Turku, Finland.

Objective: To assess the relation between maternal prenatal psychological distress, comprising depression and anxiety symptoms and relationship quality, and the risk of recurrent respiratory infections (RRIs) in children up to 2 years of age. Children with RRIs frequently use health care services and antibiotics. Prenatal maternal psychological distress can be one, previously unidentified risk factor for RRIs. Read More

Vestn Otorinolaringol 2018 ;83(6):40-43

Russian Medical Academy of Post-Graduate Education, Moscow, Russia, 123242; Children's City Clinical Hospital Z.A. Bashlyaevoi, Moscow, Russia, 125373.

The purpose of observation is to increase the effectiveness of treatment of children with chronic adenoiditis and exudative medium otitis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In the observation were included 102 children with exudative medium otitis and chronic adenoiditis at the age of 3 to 14 years. All patients passed clinical and anamnestic diagnostic, endoscopic study, study of the nasopharynx, and PCR diagnostics of the stroke of the mucous membrane of the nasopharynx. Read More

Vestn Otorinolaringol 2018 ;83(6):22-26

Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Russian Medical Academy of Continuous Post-Graduate Education, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russia, 125993.

Introduction: On the one hand, open-type surgical modalities have the advantage of the low frequency of relapses; on the other hand, they lead to the undesirable changes in the anatomical and physiological characteristics of the ear that in the long run create serious problems for both the doctor and the patient. In contrast, the closed-type surgical interventions are associated with a more favourable hygienic status and functional outcome but create a high risk of development of recurrent and residual cholesteatomas. The disadvantages of both types of cholesteatoma surgery motivated the surgeons for the development of the 'hybrid' approaches combining the advantages of open and closed strategies. Read More

Vestn Otorinolaringol 2018 ;83(6):4-7

A.I. Evdokimov Moscow State Medial Stomatological University, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russia, 127473.

Chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM) is a most common pathology among all other ENT diseases that accounts for approximately 48% of the total number of their cases. Modern surgery witnesses the advent of new methods for the management of these conditions in parallel with the modification of the known techniques intended to improve the post-operative outcomes of the treatment and rehabilitation of the patients. The objective of the present study was to enhance the effectiveness of the surgical treatment of the patients presenting with chronic suppurative otitis media by making use of the relevant navigation systems. Read More

Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2019 Feb 5:194599819826959. Epub 2019 Feb 5.

6 Department of Otolaryngology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

Objective: Eustachian tube dysfunction (ETD) prompts >2 million adult visits in the United States annually. While disease prevalence and health care utilization are established for children, practice patterns for adults remain unknown. Our objective was to determine national resource utilization for adult ETD. Read More

J Biophotonics 2019 Feb 5:e201800305. Epub 2019 Feb 5.

Center of Optical and Electromagnetic Research, South China Academy of Advanced Optoelectronics, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.

An improved method, where conventional otoscope investigation of human suspicious otitis media is combined with diffuse reflectance spectroscopy and gas in scattering media absorption spectroscopy (GASMAS) is being developed. Otitis media is one of the most common infectious diseases in children, whose Eustachian tube connecting the middle ear with the nasal cavity is more horizontal than for adults, which leads to impaired fluid drainage. At present, the use of an otoscope to visually observe possible changes in the tympanic membrane appearance is the main diagnostics method for otitis media. Read More

Lin Chung Er Bi Yan Hou Tou Jing Wai Ke Za Zhi 2018 Nov;32(22):1723-1727

Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery,Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Ear Institute, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Translational Medicine on Ear and Nose diseases, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200092, China.

To compare adenoidectomy combined tympanocentesis, CO₂ laser tympanostomy and grommet insertion in the treatment for secretory otitis media (SOM) in children, and to provide basis for selection of surgical treatments. Four hundred and twenty-six ears in 244 children with adenoid hypertrophy and SOM were divided into 3 groups which were: group A, 80 cases (142 ears) were treated with adenoidectomy combined with tympanocentesis; group B, 86 cases (145 ears) were treated with adenoidectomy combined with CO₂ laser tympanostomy; group C, 78 cases (139 ears) were treated with adenoidectomy combined with grommet insertion. Endotoscopy, tympanometry and PTA (or ABR) were conducted. Read More

Lin Chung Er Bi Yan Hou Tou Jing Wai Ke Za Zhi 2018 Nov;32(22):1703-1706

Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Jiangsu Provincial Key Medical Discipline(Laboratory);Research Institute of Otolaryngology, Drum Tower Hospital,Nanjing, 210008, China.

To analyze the failure reasons of the typeⅠtympanoplasty and to summarize the successful experiences of the reoperation. A retrospective clinical study of 42 patients undergoing second type Ⅰtympanoplasty in the ENT department of Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital from 2007 to 2017 was performed. By reviewing the perioperative clinical data and by following up the patients for 3 months to summarize the failure reasons of the first tympanoplasty and successful experiences of the second tympanoplasty. Read More

Acta Otolaryngol 2019 Feb 3:1-5. Epub 2019 Feb 3.

b Shanghai Children's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery , Shanghai , China.

Background: Diagnosis and treatment strategies for CP with OME and the timing of ear tube insertion remain controversial.

Objectives: To analyze the clinical outcomes of otitis media with effusion in children with incomplete cleft palate after palatoplasty prospectively.

Methods: A total of 30 children (10 months-2 years old) with incomplete CP were enrolled in this study and received at least 6 months of follow-up evaluations after palatoplasty. Read More

Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol 2019 Jan 28;119:166-170. Epub 2019 Jan 28.

Department of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery, Division of Pediatric Otology & Hearing Program, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA; Department of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery, Division of Otology, Neurotology & Cranial Base Surgery, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.

Objectives: The optimal timing and technique for repairing chronic tympanic membrane (TM) perforations in pediatric patients remains controversial. The objectives are to determine the surgical and hearing outcomes of pediatric lateral graft tympanoplasty at a tertiary teaching hospital.

Methods: A retrospective review was conducted for pediatric lateral graft tympanoplasties performed for chronic TM perforations by a single surgeon over a four-year period. Read More

Arch Dis Child Educ Pract Ed 2019 Feb 1. Epub 2019 Feb 1.

Institute for Maternal and Child Health IRCCS Burlo Garofolo, Trieste, Italy.

QUESTION 1: What is the diagnosis in this patient?Brain abscessAcute suppurative mastoiditisOptic neuritisCerebral venous sinus thrombosisSubdural haematoma QUESTION 2: What are the most common clinical presentations of this condition? QUESTION 3: How should this patient be managed? Read More

Vaccines (Basel) 2019 Jan 31;7(1). Epub 2019 Jan 31.

Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Disease, Telethon Kids Institute, Perth 6009, Australia.

Otitis media (OM) is a major reason for antibiotic consumption and surgery in children. Nasopharyngeal carriage of otopathogens, and nontypeable (NTHi), is a prerequisite for development of OM, and increased nasopharyngeal otopathogen density correlates with disease onset. Vaccines can reduce or eliminate otopathogen carriage, as demonstrated for pneumococcal serotypes included in pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCV). Read More

PLoS One 2019 1;14(2):e0211712. Epub 2019 Feb 1.

ACTIV, Association Clinique et Thérapeutique Infantile du Val-de-Marne, Saint Maur-des-Fossés, France.

After pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) implementation, the number of acute otitis media (AOM) episodes has decreased, but AOM still remains among the most common diagnoses in childhood. From 2% to 17% of cases of AOM feature spontaneous perforation of the tympanic membrane (SPTM). The aim of this study was to describe the bacteriological causes of SPTM 5 to 8 years years after PCV13 implementation, in 2010. Read More

J Laryngol Otol 2019 Feb 1:1-14. Epub 2019 Feb 1.

Child Health Division,Menzies School of Health Research,Darwin,Australia.

Background: Important ear problems can affect the outer ear, the middle ear and the inner ear. Globally, the greatest burden of disease is due to ear conditions that are associated with otorrhoea and hearing loss.

Methods: This study reviewed the literature on the prevention and treatment of common ear conditions that are most relevant to settings with high rates of ear disease and limited resources. Read More

Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol 2019 Jan 23;119:123-130. Epub 2019 Jan 23.

Division of Pediatrics, Soroka University Medical Center, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel; Pediatric Infectious Disease Unit, Soroka University Medical Center, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel. Electronic address:

Objectives: To evaluate the epidemiology, microbiology, Streptococcus pneumoniae serotypes distribution and serious bacterial infections (SBIs) occurrence in infants <2 months of age with tympanocentesis-documented acute otitis media (AOM), before and after the introduction of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs).

Methods: The medical records of all hospitalized infants with AOM who underwent tympanocentesis during 2005-2014 were reviewed.

Results: Of the 303 infants with AOM who were diagnosed by an ENT specialist, 182 underwent tympanocentesis, 92 during 2005-2009 (prevaccine period) and 90 during 2010-2014 (postvaccine period). Read More

Acta Otolaryngol 2018 Dec 31;138(12):1057-1060. Epub 2019 Jan 31.

a ENT Clinic , Helsingør , Denmark.

Background: This study is unique as it is the first study which can describe the long term sequelae of treatment of otitis media with effusion (OME) with insertion of grommets in the Primary Health Sector in Denmark.

Objectives: Eardrum pathology and hearing acuity 25 years after treatment of OME by insertion of grommets, in a private ear-, nose-, and throat practice.

Material And Methods: 262 children with OME were treated from 1975 to 1978. Read More

Clin Exp Otorhinolaryngol 2019 Feb 1. Epub 2019 Feb 1.

Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Bucheon, Korea.

Objectives.: The traditional canal wall down mastoidectomy (CWDM) procedure commonly has potential problems of altering the anatomy and physiology of the middle ear and mastoid. This study evaluated outcomes in patients who underwent modified canal wall down mastoidectomy (mCWDM) and mastoid obliteration using autologous materials. Read More

Hum Vaccin Immunother 2019 Jan 30:1-4. Epub 2019 Jan 30.

a Department of Respiratory Medicine and Allergology , Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine , Sapporo , Japan.

Streptococcus pneumoniae causes pneumonia, meningitis, otitis media, and bacteremia. The mortality and morbidity of invasive pneumococcal disease are high among adults aged >65 years or those with underlying chronic or immunosuppressive conditions. A recent systematic review showed that patients treated with immunosuppressive agents have impaired immune responses to pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) and pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine compared with healthy subjects. Read More

Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd 2019 Jan 24;163. Epub 2019 Jan 24.

Radboudumc, afd. Keel-Neus-Oorheelkunde en Heelkunde van het Hoofd-Halsgebied, Nijmegen.

Patients with facial palsy present with both cosmetic and functional symptoms. When a facial palsy develops quickly (within 72 hours) with no other symptoms, and no cause can be identified, it is probably an idiopathic facial palsy or 'Bell's palsy'. The diagnosis Bell's palsy is, thus, to a certain extent a diagnosis 'per exclusionem'. Read More

Int J Otolaryngol 2019 1;2019:7460891. Epub 2019 Jan 1.

Faculty of Medicine, Public Health and Nursing Gadjah Mada University/Sardjito General Hospital, Yogyakarta, Indonesia.

Background: Otitis media with effusion (OME) in adults is less prevalent than in the pediatric population but still causes considerable morbidity. It has been suggested that laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) may have a role in the aetiology of adult OME. Reflux advances to the laryngopharynx and, subsequently, to other regions of the head and neck such as oral cavity, nasopharynx, nasal cavity, paranasal sinuses, and even middle ear with clinical manifestations being asthma, sinusitis, and otitis media. Read More

Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol 2019 Jan 19;119:96-102. Epub 2019 Jan 19.

Vaccine Clinical Research and Development, Pfizer Inc, Collegeville, PA, USA.

Objective: The 7- and 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCV7 and PCV13) were approved in the US in 2000 and 2010, respectively, for active immunization against invasive disease caused by all vaccine serotypes and otitis media (OM) caused by 7 serotypes common to both vaccines, starting at ∼6 weeks of age. This study assessed the impact of PCV13 on OM by evaluating changes in US ambulatory care visit rates between the period before PCV7 (1997-1999), during PCV7 (2001-2009), and after the introduction of PCV13 (2011-2013) among US children <5 years old.

Methods: This ecological study used US National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey and National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey data. Read More

Int J Pharm 2019 Jan 23;559:201-209. Epub 2019 Jan 23.

Department of Pharmaceutics and Industrial Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt. Electronic address:

Acute otitis media (AOM), an infection in the middle ear, is usually treated through systemic administration of antibiotics because the stratum corneum of the intact tympanic-membrane (TM) possesses low permeability that holds against the ototopical antibiotics use. Therefore, the objective of this work was to encapsulate levofloxacin (LFX) into polyethylene glycol 400 (PEG 400) decorated nanoliposomes (PNLs) as an approach for drug delivery through the intact tympanic-membrane. LFX loaded-PNLs were primed by ethanol injection technique. Read More

Eur Ann Otorhinolaryngol Head Neck Dis 2019 Jan 22. Epub 2019 Jan 22.

Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, College of Medicine, Dongguk University, Ilsan Hospital, Siksa-dong, Ilsandong-gu, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do, 410-773, Republic of Korea. Electronic address:

Introduction: Hypereosinophilic syndrome is a rare disease with hypereosinophilia resulting in end-organ dysfunction. Patients present with organ-associated symptoms, and the targets frequently affected are heart, lung, skin, or the nervous system, and the middle ear involvement is rare.

Case Report: A 30-year-old female with left ear fullness and hearing loss, which persisted for 6months, was finally diagnosed with hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES). Read More

Laryngorhinootologie 2019 Jan 24. Epub 2019 Jan 24.

Acta Otolaryngol 2018 Dec 24;138(12):1061-1065. Epub 2019 Jan 24.

a Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery , Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences , Okayama , Japan.

Background: The nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome is a critical molecule mediating interleukin-1β (IL-1β) responses. However, the role of the NLRP3 inflammasome in otitis media has not been fully examined.

Aims/objectives: The purpose of this study is to assess the expression of NLRP3, ASC (apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a caspase recruitment domain and a pyrin domain), and caspase-1 in lipopolysaccharide-induced otitis media. Read More

Can J Infect Dis Med Microbiol 2018 24;2018:6598918. Epub 2018 Dec 24.

Department of Medical Equipment Technology, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Majmaah University, Majmaah 11952, Saudi Arabia.

Cell phones may be an ideal habitat for colonization by bacterial pathogens, especially in hot climates, and may be a reservoir or vehicle in transmitting nosocomial infections. We investigated bacterial contamination on cell phones of healthcare workers in three hospitals in Saudi Arabia and determined antibacterial resistance of selected bacteria. A questionnaire was submitted to 285 healthcare workers in three hospitals, and information was collected on cell phone usage at the work area and in the toilet, cell phone cleaning and sharing, and awareness of cell phones being a source of infection. Read More

BMC Fam Pract 2019 Jan 23;20(1):18. Epub 2019 Jan 23.

Department of Primary Care and Interdisciplinary Care, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.

Background: For unclarified reasons, parents tend to be cautious about administering analgesics to their children, potentially leading to suboptimal management of AOM symptoms. We aim to understand parents' views and expectations of pain management in acute otitis media (AOM) in children.

Methods: Qualitative study alongside a cluster-randomised controlled trial (PIM-POM study) aimed at optimising pain management in childhood AOM. Read More