Comprehensiveness of online sources for patient education on otosclerosis

PurposeThis study aimed to assess the readability indices of websites including educational materials on otosclerosis.MethodsWe performed a Google search on 19 April 2023 using the term “otosclerosis.” The first 50 hits were collected and analyzed. The websites were categorized into two groups: websites for health professionals and general websites for patients. Readability indices were calculated using the website https://www.webfx.com/tools/read-able/.ResultsA total of 33 websites were eligible and analyzed (20 health professional-oriented and 13 patient-oriented websites). When patient-oriented websites and health professional-oriented websites were individually analyzed, mean Flesch Reading Ease scores were found to be 52.16 ± 14.34 and 46.62 ± 10.07, respectively. There was no significant difference between the two groups upon statistical analysis.ConclusionCurrent patient educational material available online related to otosclerosis is written beyond the recommended sixth-grade reading level. The quality of good websites is worthless to the patients if they cannot comprehend the text

Hypothyroidism in Children with Serous Otitis Media

Objective:In this study, we aimed to evaluate the co-existence and prevalence of hypothyroidism in patients with otitis media with effusion (OME) and to determine the possible relationship between OME and hypothyroidism.Methods:The subject group consisted of 46 paediatric patients (26 boys, 20 girls), ranging in age from 4 to 14 years (mean age±SD 7.78±2.86 years), who were treated in the department of otorhinolaryngology for OME; the control group composed of 30 healthy children (20 boys, 10 girls), ranging in age from 3 to 14 years (mean age±SD 7.20±2.86 years). Triiodothyronine (Free T3), thyroxin (free T4), and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) values of 46 children who were treated for OME, in addition to 30 healthy children, were evaluated.Results:Seven patients (15.2%) in the OME group, and one patient (3.3%) in the control group had subclinical hypothyroidism marked only by serum TSH elevations. All of the children in this study, regardless of whether from the subject or control group, had normal serum free T3 and free T4 levels. There was no significant difference between subject and control groups (p>0.05).Conclusion:Although there was no statistically significant difference between subject and control groups in this study, further studies with larger patient groups are needed to investigate the role of hypothyroidism in the aetiology of OME

Is neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio associated with the severity of allergic rhinitis in children?

WOS: 000382945900039PubMed ID: 26525883Neutrophil lymphocyte ratio (NLR) could be an important measure of systemic inflammation. There is a lack of knowledge about the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio in rhinitis. We aimed to determine the relationship between the clinical parameters of allergic rhinitis and NLR in children. 438 children who were diagnosed with allergic rhinitis and followed up in our hospital were included in the study. The control group included 180 control children with no evidence of allergic disease. The immunoglobulin E levels, skin prick tests and complete blood count were measured. Mean NLR was 1.77 +/- A 1.67 in the study group and 1.70 +/- A 1.65 in the control group. Mean NLR was significantly higher in children with allergic rhinitis compared to controls (p 0.05). However, NLR was significantly higher in the moderate/severe AR compared to mild AR (p < 0.05). Mean NLR was statistically higher in children with allergic rhinitis compared to the control group. In addition, elevated ratio is associated with the severity of allergic rhinitis in children. Neutrophil-lymphocyte can be used as an indicator of inflammation in allergic rhinitis. But further studies are needed in this issue

Reply to the letter to the editor by satvinder singh bakshi concerning: Is neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio associated with the severity of allergic rhinitis in children?

WOS: 000382945900081PubMed ID: 27473295We would like to thank the author of the letter for contributing valuable comments to our article entitled ‘‘Is neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio associated with the severity of allergic rhinitis in children?’’ [1]. However, we think that the author has missed some points. First, all patients with any chronic disease were not enrolled in the trial as specified in the materials-method section of the article. This includes patients with Bell’s palsy, chronic tonsillitis and hearing loss. Second, regarding the relationship between the age, body mass index (BMI) and neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio (NLR), our trial was written in February 2015, submitted to the journal on June 28, 2015 and accepted on October 24. The publication date of the reference source is November 2015 [2]. Moreover, there were no differences in terms of age between groups in our trial. There is no consensus about NLR and BMI relationship within the literature. There are also publications in which no relationship has been detected between BMI and NLR

Ischemia-modified albumin levels in patients with idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss

Objectives: This study aims to investigate whether serum levels of ischemia-modified albumin (IMA) are associated with idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSNHL). Patients and Methods: Between December 2015 and June 2017, a total of 17 patients (9 males, 8 females; mean age 49.4±18.0 years; range, 24 to 88 years) with ISSNHL and 24 age- and sex-matched healthy individuals (12 males, 12 females; mean age 44.5±13.3 years; range, 30 to 81 years) as the control group were included in the study. All patients underwent audiometric examination at the time of admission immediately before the beginning of the treatment and weekly after treatment initiation until one month using the Interacoustics AC40 audiometer. Serum IMA levels were evaluated using blood samples from the antecubital vein of both patient and control groups. The samples were centrifuged to separate the serum from the cells. Albumin cobalt binding test was used for IMA measurement. Results: The mean IMA level was 0.374±0.081 absorbance units (ABSU) (range, 0.205 to 0.536) in the study group at the time of diagnosis, 0.358±0.051 ABSU (range, 0.297 to 0.466) in the post-treatment period, at least four weeks after onset, and 0.358±0.053 ABSU (range, 0.281 to 0.434) in the control group. There was no statistically significant difference between the patient and control groups. The IMA levels of the patients with ISSNHL in the post-treatment period were lower than the onset of illness, although this difference was not statically significant (0.440). Conclusion: Our study results demonstrated that serum IMA levels in the patients with ISSNHL did not differ from the control group

Akut parotit hastalarında parotis muayenesi vemasajın serum amilaz düzeylerine etkisi

Objective:Acute infection of the parotid gland is common in the clinical practice of ear-nose-throat medicine. The present study aims todemonstrate the effect of parotid gland massage on serum amylase levels. Methods:The study included 30 patients with acute parotitis presentingto our clinic and 14 healthy volunteers. The correlation between the serumsamples collected before and after parotid gland massage was compared. Results: A significant difference was observed in the amylase levelsbefore and after massage in the acute parotitis group. Amylase levels didnot differ significantly between measurements before and after massagein healthy subjects. Conclusion:Patients should be evaluated with consideration to theeffect of parotid gland massage performed to determine suppurationof parotid gland on amylase levels.Amaç: Kulak-burun-boğaz tıbbı klinik uygulamasında akut parotisbezi enfeksiyonu sık görülmektedir. Bu çalıflma parotiz bezi masajınınserum amilaz düzeylerine etkisini göstermeyi amaçlamaktadır. Yöntem:Çalıflma kliniğimize baflvurmufl 30 akut parotit hastasını ve14 sağlıklı gönüllüyü içermekteydi. Parotis masajı öncesi ve sonrasıtoplanan serum örnekleri arasındaki korelasyon karflılafltırıldı. Bulgular:Akut parotis grubunda masaj öncesi ve sonrası amilaz düzeyleri arasında anlamlı bir fark gözlenmifltir. Sağlıklı kiflilerde isemasaj öncesi ve sonrası ölçümler birbirlerinden anlamlı derecedefarklı değildi. Sonuç:Parotis bezi süpürasyonunun amilaz düzeylerine etkisini belirlemek için uygulanmıfl parotis bezi masajının etkisi açısından hastaların değerlendirilmeleri gerekir

Ischemia-modified albumin levels in patients with bell's palsy

Background: Although several causes have been regarded as possible including viral, autoimmune, inflammatory, and vascular ischemia, the accurate etiology and pathophysiology of Bell's palsy (BP) remain unclear. The aim of the present article was to determine whether serum levels of ischemia-modified albumin (IMA) are associated with BP and if there is a posttreatment change in IMA levels. Materials and Methods: This was a prospective study enrolling 23 patients (10 males and 13 females; mean age: 44.71 +/- 16.72 years; and range, 20-57 years) and 23 healthy individuals (12 males and 11 females; mean age: 37.91 +/- 9.16 years; and range, 9-73 years) as the control group. Blood samples were obtained from the antecubital vein from all of the volunteers. Albumin cobalt binding test was used to obtain the IMA levels. Results: The mean IMA level was 0.38 +/- 0.06 absorbance units in the study group at the time of diagnosis, 0.35 +/- 0.07 absorbance units at the posttreatment period, and 0.35 +/- 0.06 absorbance units in the control group. IMA levels of patients in posttreatment period were lower than the onset of illness. The result was statistically significant (P = 0.01). Conclusion: The data demonstrate that IMA decreased in BP with treatment. This is a preliminary study and we could not obtain results that clearly support the ischemic hypothesis of pathogenesis of BP; we think it gives an idea for further studies