Sinonasal Characteristics in Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea Compared to Healthy Controls

Background. The difference in nasal obstruction between OSA patients and healthy individuals is not adequately documented. Our aim was to describe the sinonasal quality of life and nasal function in OSA patients and healthy controls using the sinonasal outcome test-20 (SNOT-20), nasal obstruction visual analog scale (NO-VAS), and peak nasal inspiratory flow (PNIF). Methodology and Principal. Ninety-three OSA patients and 92 controls were included in a case-control study from 2010 to 2015. Results. Mean SNOT-20 score in the OSA group was 1.69 (SD 0.84) compared to 0.55 (SD 0.69) in controls (p<0.001, 95% CI [0.9, 1.4]). The mean NO-VAS score was 41.3 (SD 12.8) and 14.7 (SD 14.4) in the OSA group and controls, respectively, (p<0.001, 95% CI [22.7, 30.6]). PNIF measured 105 litres/minute in the OSA group and 117 litres/minute in controls (p<0.01, 95% CI [−21.8, −3.71]). There was a positive correlation between subjective nasal obstruction and change in PNIF after decongestion in the control group alone. Conclusions. OSA patients have a reduced sinonasal QoL and lower peak nasal inspiratory flow compared to controls. Treatment of nasal obstruction in OSA patients should be made a priority along with treatment of the ailment itself

An observational cohort study of the effects of septoplasty with or without inferior turbinate reduction in patients with obstructive sleep apnea.

Background The objective of this observational study was to evaluate the outcomes of intranasal surgery in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in a single institution in Norway. Methods Fifty-nine patients with OSA and clinically significant nasal obstruction underwent either septoplasty alone or septoplasty with concomitant volume reduction of the turbinates from August 2008 until the end of December 2010. Subjects were scheduled for sleep polygraphy before and 3 months after treatment. In this observational single-centre cohort study we evaluated and compared the effect of these two specific surgical procedures on sleep related parameters. Results There was a significant reduction in the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) only in the group that had septoplasty with turbinate reduction (17.4, (SD 14.4) – 11.7, (SD 8.2), p <0.01), and this effect was significantly better than in the group treated with septoplasty alone. Other objective parameters remained unchanged. Subjective assessments obtained with a postoperative questionnaire showed an equally positive effect on diurnal sleepiness and nasal obstruction in both groups, and a better effect on sleep quality in the combined treatment group. Conclusion The effect of nasal surgery on obstructive sleep apnea seemed to be greater when there were indications for combined surgery of the inferior turbinates and the nasal septum, compared to when there were indications for septoplasty alone

Sinonasal Characteristics in Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea Compared to Healthy Controls

Background. The difference in nasal obstruction between OSA patients and healthy individuals is not adequately documented. Our aim was to describe the sinonasal quality of life and nasal function in OSA patients and healthy controls using the sinonasal outcome test-20 (SNOT-20), nasal obstruction visual analog scale (NO-VAS), and peak nasal inspiratory flow (PNIF). Methodology and Principal. Ninety-three OSA patients and 92 controls were included in a case-control study from 2010 to 2015. Results. Mean SNOT-20 score in the OSA group was 1.69 (SD 0.84) compared to 0.55 (SD 0.69) in controls (p <0.001, 95% CI [0.9, 1.4]). The mean NO-VAS score was 41.3 (SD 12.8) and 14.7 (SD 14.4) in the OSA group and controls, respectively, (p < 0.001, 95% CI [22.7, 30.6]). PNIF measured 105 litres/minute in the OSA group and 117 litres/minute in controls (p < 0.01, 95% CI [−21.8, −3.71]). There was a positive correlation between subjective nasal obstruction and change in PNIF after decongestion in the control group alone. Conclusions. OSA patients have a reduced sinonasal QoL and lower peak nasal inspiratory flow compared to controls. Treatment of nasal obstruction in OSA patients should be made a priority along with treatment of the ailment itself

Treatment of posttraumatic olfactory dysfunction with oral corticosteroids and olfactory training

Background: Few have investigated long-term effect of treatment of posttraumatic olfactory dysfunction (OD). Aims/objectives: To explore if sequential treatment with corticosteroids and olfactory training (OT) improved smell in patients with OD after moderate and severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). Material and methods: Twenty-two patients with persistent OD, mean 62 months after trauma, completed an open uncontrolled intervention study of treatment for 10 d with oral corticosteroids and thereafter for 3 months with OT twice daily. Olfaction was assessed by Sniffin’ Sticks. They were tested at four-time points, with the last assessment 12 months after baseline measurements. Results: Mean age at trauma was 45 (SD 14) years. Mean threshold, discrimination and identification (TDI) score at baseline was 14.4 (SD 7.3) and increased to mean 20.8 (SD 7.4) after 1 year (minimum −3.0; maximum 19.5, p value <.001). Analysed separately, each TDI component increased significantly after 1 year. Half of the patients (11/22) experienced a clinically significant improvement of ≥6.0 TDI points. Improvement was not associated with any sociodemographic or trauma-related characteristics or with olfactory function at baseline. Conclusions and significance: Treatment with corticosteroids and OT was promising in persistent OD after TBI and should be further studied

Åpne undervisningsressurser og generiske ferdigheter illustrert: The DocEnhance Data StewardshipCourse

Posterpresentasjon på MOKTA 2024 - UiTs årlige utdanningskvalitetskonferanse, 15.02.2024, Tromsø.Lenke til pdf av posteren: https://zenodo.org/doi/10.5281/zenodo.10670455 DocEnhance Data Stewardship Course gir en grunnleggende gjennomgang av teori og beste praksis innen forskningsdatahåndtering. Alle deler av livssyklusen til forskningsdata blir gjennomgått: planlegging, innsamling/generering, strukturering, lagring, dokumentering, arkivering og deling (så åpent som mulig og så lukket som nødvendig). Kurset er primært lagd med ph.d.-kandidater som målgruppe, men vil være nyttig for alle som håndterer data til forskning. Kurset skal i tillegg gjøre ph.d.-kandidatene bedre i stand til å nyttiggjøre seg ferdigheter innen datahåndtering også i et yrkesliv utenfor akademia. Data Stewardship består av tre moduler: Modul 1 er en MOOC som går gjennom teori og beste praksis innenfor alle ovennevnte trinn og aspekter av forskningsdatahåndtering, i form av en introduksjon og ni tematiske seksjoner, samt en eksamen med flervalgsspørsmål. MOOCen inneholder videoforelesninger, tekst og selvstyrte aktiviteter, og inkluderer obligatorisk og anbefalt lesing. Bestått eksamen på Modul 1-eksamen er en forutsetning for å delta i Modul 2 og 3. Modul 2 består av seminarer med oppgaver som skal gjøres som gruppearbeid. Modulen består av undervisningsmateriale for seks tre-timers lange tematiske økter, som lærerne kan velge å tilpasse som de ønsker. Modul 2 inneholder også en eksamensoppgave. I Modul 3 skal deltakerne sette kunnskap fra modul 1 og 2 i praksis, og dette gjøres i samarbeid med partnere fra ikke-akademisk (privat eller offentlig) sektor. Modul 3 inneholder også en eksamensoppgave. Det åpne kursmaterialet inneholder i tillegg detaljerte lærerguider både på overordnet faglig/administrativt nivå og på modul/sesjon/aktivitetsnivå. Ph.d.-kandidater (og andre) som består eksamen i alle tre modulene, får tildelt en bekreftelse på dette i form av et DocEnhance Data Stewardship-diplom. Dette kan deltakerne bruke for å søke om tildeling av ECTS-studiepoeng fra sin institusjon. Vi anbefaler at kurset gir grunnlag for 3 ECTS. Kurset er utviklet av Universitetsbiblioteket ved UiT, gjennom det EU-finansierte DocEnhance-prosjektet (2020-2022), og målet er at Data Stewardship på sikt skal kunne tilbys som et tverrfaglig, poenggivende kurs via High North Academy. Kurset er åpent tilgjengelig med CC BY 4.0-lisens i DocEnhance Moodle LMS: https://courses.docenhance.eu/ Se også “Executive Summary and Teacher Guide”: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.799441

Improvement in minimal cross-sectional area and nasal-cavity volume occurs in different areas after septoplasty and radiofrequency therapy of inferior turbinates

Purpose: Septoplasty and radiofrequency therapy for inferior turbinate hypertrophy (RFIT) are common techniques used to improve nasal patency. Our aim was to compare nasal geometry and function using acoustic rhinometry (AR) and peak nasal inspiratory flow (PNIF) in three patients groups undergoing surgery for nasal obstruction, and to investigate if the improvement in minimal-cross-sectional-area (MCA) and nasal-cavity-volume (NCV) occurred in different nasal cavity areas in the groups. Finally, we evaluated the correlation between the objective measurements and the patients’ assessment of nasal obstruction (SNO). Methods: This prospective, observational study investigated 148 patients pre-operatively and 6 months post-operatively. Fifty patients underwent septoplasty (group 1), 51 underwent septoplasty combined with RFIT (group 2), and 47 underwent RFIT alone (group 3). The minimal-cross-sectional-area (MCA) and nasal-cavity-volume (NCV) were measured at two distances (MCA/NCV0-3.0 and MCA/NCV3-5.2), in addition to measuring PNIF and SNO. Results: Pre-operatively, groups 1 and 2 had narrower MCA0-3.0 on one side than group 3 [0.31± 0.14 and 0.31± 0.14] versus [0.40 ± 0.16] cm2. Post-operatively, total MCA0-3.0 and MCA/NCV3-5.2 increased in group 1. In group 2, MCA/NCV0-3.0 at the narrow side and total MCA/NCV3-5.2 increased, while total MCA/NCV3-5.2 increased in group 3. PNIF improved from 106 ± 49 l/min to 150 ± 57 l/min post-operatively. We found a correlation between increased MCA and NCV and less SNO in the septoplasty group (p<0.01). Conclusion: Surgery produced an improvement in MCA and NCV in all groups. The improvement occurred in different areas of the nasal cavity in the patient groups. Both anterior and posterior areas increased in the septoplasty groups while only the posterior area increased in the RFIT group. PNIF improved in all three patient groups, indicating that surgery produced an improvement in nasal patency.submittedVersionThis is a pre-print of an article published in [European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology]. The final authenticated version is available online at: http://dx.doi.org/ 10.1007/s00405-018-5022-

Incidental findings in MRI of the paranasal sinuses in adults: a population-based study (HUNT MRI)

Background Diagnostic imaging of the head is used with increasing frequency, and often includes the paranasal sinuses, where incidental opacifications are found. To determine the clinical relevance of such findings can be challenging, and for the patient such incidental findings can give rise to concern if they are over-reported. Studies of incidental findings in the paranasal sinuses have been conducted mostly in patients referred for diagnostic imaging, hence the prevalence in the general population is not known. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence and size of incidental opacification in the paranasal sinuses in a non-selected adult population using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) without medical indication, and to relate the results to sex and season. Methods Randomly and independent of medical history, 982 participants (518 women) with a mean age of 58.5 years (range, 50–66) underwent MRI of the head as part of a large public health survey in Norway. The MRIs included 3D T1 weighted volume data and 2D axial T2 weighted image (WI). Opacifications, indicating mucosal thickenings, polyps, retention cysts, or fluid, were recorded if measuring more than 1 mm. Results Opacifications were found in 66% of the participants. Mucosal thickenings were found in 49%, commonly in the maxillary sinuses (29%) where 25% had opacifications that were less than 4 mm in size. Other opacifications occurred in the anterior ethmoid (23%), posterior ethmoid (21%), frontal sinus (9%), and sphenoid (8%). Polyps and retention cysts were also found mainly in the maxillary sinuses in 32%. Fluid was observed in 6% of the MRIs. Mucosal thickening was observed more frequently in men than in women (P <0.05). No seasonal variation was found. Conclusions In this large non-selected sample, incidental opacification in the paranasal sinuses was seen in two out of three participants, and mucosal thickening was seen in one out of two. Fluid was rare. Knowledge of incidental opacification is important because it can affect clinical practice