Reliability and Validity of the Turkish Version of the Glasgow-Edinburgh Throat Scale: Use for a Symptom Scale of Globus Sensation in Turkish Population

Objective: In this study, we aimed to translate the Glasgow-Edinburgh Throat Scale (GETS) into Turkish and test its reliability and validity.Methods: A total of 69 patients with globus sensation and no signs of otolaryngologic or gastroenterological disease in etiology were included in the study. The patients were asked to complete the translated Turkish version (GETS-T) of GETS and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS).Results: The Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of the patients in the study group was calculated based on the 12 questions in the GETS-T scale and found as 0.868. The correlation between the GETS-T total score and the total HADS score in the study group was found to be very low and statistically insignificant. As a result of factor analysis, it was found that the first 10 problems in GETS-T were divided into two sub-groups, unlike GETS.Conclusion: Translation of GETS into Turkish (GETS-T) showed high reliability and validity, suggesting that translation and cross-cultural adaptation was appropriate. The GETS-T can be used in studies about globus pharyngeus in future

Patient Characteristics and Frequent Localizations of Rhinoliths

Objective:A rhinolith is a rare entity affecting all people in all age groups. It is defined as a mineralized foreign body. The purpose of the present study was to reveal the distribution in age and gender and the localization, side, and prominent symptoms of rhinoliths to identify the risk groups and characteristics of the rhinoliths in a large case series.Methods:A retrospective review was performed from the medical charts of 28 patients who were diagnosed with rhinolith and underwent surgery between May 2011 and January 2015 in Ankara Research and Training Hospital. All data, including age, gender, duration of symptoms, localization of the lesion and accompanying pathologies, were documented.Results:In total, 28 patients (18 females and 10 males) with a mean age of 26.2±16.6 (5-62) years who were diagnosed with rhinolithiasis were reviewed. Nasal obstruction (71.4%) and nasal discharge (64.3%) were the most common complaints. The rhinolith was located in the right nasal cavity in 24 patients and in the left in four; this difference was statistically significant (p<0.001). There were 11 accompanying pathologies including nasal septal deviation (n=6), nasal polyposis (n=2), concha bullosa (n=2), and adenoid vegetation (n=1). In 21 (75%) patients, the most common site was the nasal base of the cavity between the inferior turbinate and the nasal septum.Conclusion:If unilateral right-sided nasal obstruction with foul-smelling purulent discharge is detected in a young adult and a nasal examination reveals a mass in the floor of the cavity, a rhinolith should be strongly considered in the differential diagnosis

Laryngoscopic Examination During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Turkish Voice Speech and Swallowing Disorders Society and Turkish Professional Voice Society Recommendations

COVID-19 is highly transmissible and spreads rapidly in the population. This increases the occupational risk for health care workers. In otolaryngology clinic practice, patients with upper respiratory tract infection symptoms are common. Also, routine head and neck examinations such as oral cavity examination, nasal/nasopharyngeal examination, or video laryngostroboscopic evaluation are highly risky because of the aerosol formation. To emphasize this issue, two leading otolaryngology organizations in Turkey; 'Voice Speech and Swallowing Disorders Society', and 'Professional Voice Society' gathered a task force. This task force aimed to prepare a consensus report that would provide practical recommendations of the safety measurements during routine clinical care of laryngology patients. To fulfill this, universal aim, on the 2nd and 9th of May 2020, two web-based meetings were conducted by 20 expert physicians. This eighteen items list was prepared as an output