Biomedical subjects

E M Friedman

Publications and source records attributed to E M Friedman.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2001

Quantitation and prevalence of tympanosclerosis in a pediatric otolaryngology clinic.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the incidence and prevalence of tympanosclerosis (TS) in patients seen in a pediatric otolaryngology clinic. DESIGN: Prospective observational study. SETTING: Tertiary care, ambulatory care clinic. PATIENTS AND OTHER PARTICIPANTS: We conducted a prospective observational study to determine the incidence of TS in 218 patients seen consecutively in a pediatric otolaryngology clinic for otologic and nonotologic reasons. The patient age range was 3 weeks to 30 years; 63% were male and 37% female. Of the 218 patients, 37% (81) had undergone bilateral myringotomy and tube placement (BM&T), and 35% (21) of the 81 showed signs of TS; 63% (137) of the 218 patients had no history of otologic surgery, but 12% (15) of the 137 showed signs of TS. METHOD: The area of the tympanic membrane affected by TS was determined by otoscopy performed by one viewer, who drew the otoscopic findings on a standardized tympanic membrane template. The area of TS was quantified in terms of percentages by digital image analysis of the scaled drawings. RESULTS: There was a range of 0.5-59.9% involvement of the tympanic membrane with TS, with the median percentage of involvement being 4.95%. There was an increased percentage of TS with repeat BM&T. CONCLUSION: This observational study shows that patients who have had BM&T have a higher incidence of TS than those who have not had the surgery. However our findings also show that 38% of the patients in this study who had TS had never undergone BM&T.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2001

The role of postoperative chest radiography in pediatric tracheotomy.

A postoperative chest radiograph has traditionally been obtained after tracheotomies to evaluate for the presence of a pneumothorax and to assess tube position. Several recent studies in adults have questioned the usefulness of routine postoperative chest radiography in uncomplicated cases, but the role of post-operative chest radiography in pediatric patients has not been previously reviewed. We performed this study to examine the clinical utility of post-tracheotomy chest radiography in pediatric patients and determine if this routine practice impacts patient management enough to merit continued usage. A retrospective review was performed of 200 consecutive pediatric patients who underwent tracheotomies by the otolaryngology service in a tertiary care pediatric hospital from January 1994 to June 1999. All patients received postoperative chest radiographs. Five of 200 patients had a new postoperative radiographic finding, with three requiring interventions. Two patients required chest tube placement for pneumothorax, and one patient required tracheostomy tube change for repositioning. Fifty-one patients, including both pneumothoraces, exhibited clinical signs of pneumothorax (decreased breath sounds or oxygen saturation) in the immediate postoperative period. Chest X-ray ruled out a pneumothorax in the remaining 49 patients. The majority of these 51 patients were less than 2 years old (94%, P=0.002) or weighed less than 17 kg (89%, P=0.004). Postoperative chest X-rays yielded clinically relevant information in 168 patients that fell into one or more of four high risk categories: age less than 2, weight less than 17 kg, emergent procedures, or concomitant central line placement. Avoiding chest X-rays in the remaining 32 patients would have resulted in potential savings of $5000, which does not reflect the actuarial cost of a missed complication. Since the majority of our patients (84%) fell into a high-risk category, we feel it would be prudent to continue obtaining postoperative chest radiographs following all pediatric tracheotomies.

Chest Tubes↗

PubMed2001

Validation of an outcomes instrument for tonsil and adenoid disease.

OBJECTIVE: To design and validate a disease-specific health status instrument-the Tonsil and Adenoid Health Status Instrument-for use in children with tonsil and adenoid disease. DESIGN: Prospective psychometric and clinimetric instrument validation in 3 stages. SETTINGS: A tertiary academic pediatric specialty hospital and a tertiary academic hospital, in 2 different cities. PATIENTS/OTHER PARTICIPANTS: Children with tonsil and adenoid disease presenting for evaluation and treatment (n = 224). INTERVENTION/METHOD: Prospective instrument validation. Stage 1 consisted of initial item testing, reduction, and subscale construction; stage 2, reliability and validity testing, factor analysis, and final item reduction; and stage 3, responsiveness analysis. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Test-retest and internal consistency reliability; content, construct, and criterion validity; orthogonal principal components factor analysis; and response sensitivity analysis. RESULTS: Factor analysis and item analysis confirmed 6 distinct subscales measuring different constructs (aspects) of disease-specific health status that are affected by tonsil and adenoid disease: eating and swallowing, airway and breathing, infections, health care utilization, cost of care, and behavior. For each subscale, the Tonsil and Adenoid Health Status Instrument demonstrated excellent test-retest reliability (r = 0.72-0.88) and internal consistency reliability (Cronbach alpha = .73-.87). Content validity was ensured during the design process. Construct validity was demonstrated by means of convergent and divergent validity with a global quality-of-life instrument (the Child Health Questionnaire, version PF28). Criterion validity was also satisfactory. Finally, the instrument was appropriately sensitive, with high standardized response means and effect sizes. CONCLUSIONS: The Tonsil and Adenoid Health Status Instrument is a valid, reliable, and sensitive instrument with 6 distinct subscales. This instrument has significant utility for outcomes research in children with tonsil and adenoid disease.

Adenoids↗

PubMed2001

Central CRH suppresses specific antibody responses: effects of beta-adrenoceptor antagonism and adrenalectomy.

Central corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH)-induced activation of the sympathetic nervous system and/or the pituitary-adrenal axis is hypothesized to mediate suppression of in vivo specific antibody responses. To test whether beta-adrenergic receptor activation is involved in the immunosuppressive effects of central CRH, rats were pretreated with propranolol or saline before intracerebroventricular infusion of CRH and immunization with keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH). KLH (3 microg/kg) immunization induced significant increases in circulating levels of antigen-specific IgM and IgG. Central infusion of CRH (200 pmol) suppressed both IgM and IgG responses. Pretreatment with propranolol (20 mg/kg IP) reversed CRH-induced suppression of IgG responses but had no effect on IgM levels. To test whether adrenal activation also plays a role in the effects of KLH on specific antibody responses, a separate group of animals underwent adrenalectomy prior to CRH infusion and immunization with KLH. As compared to nonadrenalectomized control rats, adrenalectomized rats showed a reduction of antibody responses, and CRH failed to induce a further suppression of IgM or IgG responses in adrenalectomized animals. Collectively, these data suggest that beta-adrenoceptors mediate the suppression of primary antibody responses induced by central CRH. Moreover, the adrenals may promote optimal primary antibody responses after exposure to physiological levels of antigen.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗

PubMed2001

Pediatric bilateral vocal fold immobility: the role of carbon dioxide laser posterior transverse partial cordectomy.

Vocal fold paralysis in children has been estimated to be the second most common congenital abnormality of the pediatric airway. Most commonly, children present with the vocal folds in the midline or adducted position. Pediatric patients usually have a good voice or cry and a poor airway. In these cases, the surgical goal will be improving the airway, usually by lateralizing a vocal fold, while maintaining a normal voice and intact swallowing. The focus of this article is a modification of a technique for use in adults that was introduced by Dennis and Kashima in 1989. The procedure is intended to separate the vocal ligament and vocalis muscle from the arytenoid cartilage with removal of significant tissue mass with the CO2 laser. The demographics and results of 5 pediatric patients who underwent this procedure are discussed. The preoperative goals of airway enlargement, voice preservation, and normal deglutition were achieved in all 5 patients.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2000

Intracranial complications of acute mastoiditis.

OBJECTIVE: Oral antibiotic use may have changed the incidence and microbiology of otitic intracranial complications. We reviewed cases of acute mastoiditis to document: (1) incidence of intracranial complications; (2) risk factors; and (3) identify pathologic organisms. METHODS: A retrospective study of children at a tertiary care children's hospital with acute mastoiditis from July, 1986 through June, 1998. RESULTS: 118 children with acute mastoiditis were identified. Eight patients (6.8%), ages 20 months to 14 years, had intracranial complications related to acute mastoiditis. Three children had a sigmoid sinus thrombosis, two children had an epidural abscess, and two children had both complications of sigmoid sinus thrombosis and epidural abscess, and a sigmoid sinus thrombosis and meningitis was present in one child. Pre-admission oral antibiotics were administered for an average of 10 days in seven of the eight patients. Persistent otorrhea and/or otalgia were present in all patients. Intraoperative cultures were negative in four cases (50%). Organisms isolated included: Streptococcus pneumoniae (2); Proteus mirabilis (1); Pseudomonas aeruginosa (1); and coagulase negative Staphylococcus (1). Multi-drug resistant organisms were documented in only one case. All patients underwent a contrast enhanced CT of the temporal bones and brain. Surgical management included complete mastoidectomy in all patients and a pressure equalization tube in seven of the eight cases. CONCLUSIONS: Our review did not document an increase in the incidence of otitic intracranial complications. Persistent otalgia or otorrhea while on oral antibiotics with associated neurologic symptoms are ominous signs suggestive of a complication. Multi-drug resistant organisms are uncommon whereas negative intraoperative cultures are common.

Acute Disease↗

PubMed2000

Quality of life and health status in pediatric tonsil and adenoid disease.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the baseline global health status and quality of life (QOL) in children with tonsil and adenoid disease. DESIGN: Cross-sectional multicenter survey series. SETTINGS: A tertiary academic pediatric specialty hospital and a tertiary academic hospital in 2 different cities. PATIENTS AND OTHER PARTICIPANTS: Consecutive series of 55 parents of children who were seen for tonsil and adenoid disease. INTERVENTION AND METHOD: Cross-sectional survey of the health status of affected children to assess their QOL and its relationship to tonsil and adenoid disease. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Quality-of-life subscale scores of affected children on the Child Health Questionnaire version PF28 (CHQ-PF28); comparisons of population data from healthy normal children and children with asthma and juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. RESULTS: The overall health status and QOL of children with tonsil and adenoid disease is significantly worse than those of healthy normal children, as demonstrated by lower mean scores on several CHQ-PF28 subscales, including general health, physical functioning, behavior, bodily pain, and parental impact (emotional). In addition, the general health perception of children with tonsil and adenoid disease is similar to the perceptions of children with asthma and juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, but several aspects of health status, as measured by CHQ-PF28 subscale scores, were significantly worse in children with tonsil and adenoid disease. CONCLUSION: The health status impact of tonsil and adenoid disease appears to be quite significant, particularly in aspects related to the parental impact of the child's disease.

Child↗

PubMed2000

Vocal cord paralysis in infants and children.

Vocal cord paralysis is the second most common cause of neonatal stridor. Recognition of laryngeal paralysis warrants further evaluation for an underlying etiology as it is frequently a manifestation of a multisystem anomaly. Initial intervention must concentrate on airway stabilization and treatment of any underlying conditions. Management strategies should be individualized and focus on maintenance of a safe and stable airway, acquisition of intelligible speech, and deglutition without aspiration.

Child↗

PubMed2000

Tracheobronchial foreign bodies.

Aspirated and ingested foreign bodies continue to present challenges to otolaryngologists. The major issues involve the accurate diagnosis and speedy, safe retrieval of the foreign body. The accurate diagnosis may allude physicians because often the initial choking incidents are not witnessed and the delayed residual symptoms may mimic other common conditions. The retrieval of foreign bodies has been facilitated by technical improvements with the rod lens telescope, video endoscopy, a broad range of a variety of sized forceps, and safer anesthesia. This article reviews the clinical presentation, diagnostic work-up, and appropriate management of foreign bodies in the aerodigestive tract.

Bronchi↗

PubMed1999

Recurrent meningitis in the pediatric patient--the otolaryngologist's role.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the etiology of recurrent meningitis in the pediatric patient. DESIGN: Retrospective case series and literature review. SETTING: Tertiary-care pediatric hospital. PATIENTS: Children (< 17-years-old) with recurrent meningitis, treated at Texas Children's Hospital (TCH) between 1984 and 1995. RESULTS: A review of 463 cases of bacterial meningitis over an 11 year period revealed six children aged 3 months to 15 years with the diagnosis of recurrent meningitis. The patient's age, number of episodes of meningitis, diagnostic investigations performed and etiologies of recurrent meningitis were recorded. Fifteen episodes of meningitis were identified in these six patients; Streptococcus pneumoniae represented the bacteriology in 73% of the cases. Two patients were diagnosed with temporal bone abnormalities, two children with immunological deficiencies and no underlying etiology for the recurrent meningitis was identified in the remaining two patients. In this series, one-third of patients had an otolaryngologic etiology for their recurrent meningitis. These six patients, along with a review of the recent literature, will highlight the need for otolaryngological assessment and the importance of considering immunological investigations when managing recurrent meningitis in the pediatric patient. CONCLUSION: We propose that children with recurrent meningitis of unknown etiology undergo: (1) an audiological evaluation; (2) a CT scan of the temporal bones, skull base and paranasal sinuses; and (3) an immunological evaluation.

Audiometry↗

PubMed1999

Is parental perception an accurate predictor of childhood hearing loss? A prospective study.

OBJECTIVE: We performed this study to assess whether parental perception of hearing loss predicted the results of audiometric testing in children with recurrent otitis media or persistent otitis media with effusion. METHODS: As part of a larger prospective observational outcomes study of children undergoing tympanostomy tube placement, the child's parent completed a standardized questionnaire before and after tube placement. In addition, patients underwent age-appropriate audiologic threshold and tympanometry testing before and after tube placement. RESULTS: We enrolled 113 patients (median age, 2 years), and 93 (82%) completed follow-up. Before treatment, parental perception of hearing loss did not predict hearing threshold level. After tube placement, parental perception of hearing loss was also poorly correlated with change in threshold. CONCLUSIONS: Parental perception of their child's hearing loss is a poor predictor of objective audiologic findings both before and after treatment with tympanostomy tubes. These findings have important implications concerning the importance of screening for hearing loss in children with otitis media with effusion.

Attitude to Health↗

PubMed1998

Acquired nasopharyngeal stenosis: a warning and review.

OBJECTIVES: To present and discuss the clinical presentation and treatment planning in children with acquired nasopharyngeal stenosis (NPS) following tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy. DESIGN: Case series. SETTING: Tertiary care center. PATIENTS AND OTHER PARTICIPANTS: Nine children identified over 2 years (1995-1996) with newly diagnosed NPS were evaluated. Seven of these children underwent adenoidectomy using a potassium titanyl phosphate laser technique at a neighboring facility. These children were aged 15.6 to 62.1 months at the time of original surgery, and all presented with nasal obstruction and mouth breathing beginning within 10 weeks after surgery. In addition, 5 had newly documented obstructive sleep apnea. RESULTS: Of the 9 children, 1 required a tracheotomy. After undergoing an adenoidectomy, chronic rhinosinusitis developed and aggressive medical treatment failed in 4 children. Time from symptom onset to diagnosis of NPS ranged from 2 to 34 months. The diagnosis of NPS depends on obtaining a thorough medical history and conducting a physical examination that includes nasopharyngoscopy. Most children underwent a computed tomographic scan prior to repair. The scarring encountered in these patients involved the soft palate and the posterior pharyngeal wall and/or choanae bilaterally. Five children had no identifiable eustachian tube opening into the nasopharynx, and all 5 children had chronic otitis media with effusion or persistent otorrhea. CONCLUSIONS: Nasopharyngeal stenosis following adenoidectomy and/or tonsillectomy is difficult to correct. Multiple surgeries may be required to relieve the obstruction. Standard operative techniques using the lateral pharyngeal flap and transpalatal or endoscopic intranasal approaches were adapted to the clinical situation. Prolonged use of nasal stents is mandatory to produce a nasopharyngeal opening. Adjunctive treatment may include pressure equalization tubes. However, the best treatment remains prevention.

Adenoidectomy↗

PubMed1998

Gastroesophageal reflux association with laryngomalacia: a prospective study.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the incidence and clinical role of gastroesophageal reflux (GER) in patients with laryngomalacia. DESIGN: Prospective evaluation of consecutive infants with a new diagnosis of laryngomalacia with an initial questionnaire, a barium esophagram or 24 h pH probe and record of their subsequent clinical course. SETTING: A large, tertiary pediatric referral center and its associated outpatient clinic. PATIENTS: New diagnosis of laryngomalacia in 33 consecutive infants were evaluated by questionnaire and 27 of these were evaluated for GER. RESULTS: GER was observed in 64% of patients and was significantly associated with severe symptoms and complicated clinical course (P = 0.0163). The presence of smokers in the infant's household negatively impacted his or her clinical course and symptomatology (P = 0.013) as did the presence of other major, concurrent medical problems (P = 0.065). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with laryngomalacia, GER was significantly associated with severe symptoms (a complicated clinical course), as was smoking in an infant's household and other significant medical problems.

Age of Onset↗

PubMed1998

Childhood pseudohypacusis in patients with high risk for actual hearing loss.

OBJECTIVE: While pseudohypacusis or nonorganic hearing loss is a well-recognized phenomenon in adults, it is the aim of this report to heighten the physician's awareness of the occurrence of nonorganic hearing loss in pediatric patients. The medical and otologic histories of 18 cases identified consecutively between 1983 and 1991 at The Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, were retrospectively reviewed. In these selected cases an analysis of the audiometric configuration, age range, and sex distribution is undertaken. This review highlights the need to rule out pseudohypacusis even in pediatric cases where suspicion is low. A precedent trauma was the presenting complaint in a high percentage of our patient population. This association has not been previously reported in the pediatric literature. While the severity of the traumatic incident was often minor, extensive medical and surgical investigations had been considered before the identification of nonorganic hearing loss. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective chart analysis of patients identified with pseudohypacusis over a 7-year period. METHODS: A tertiary care children's hospital in an urban community. Eighteen consecutively identified patients examined by a staff audiologists at a tertiary care children's hospital. A specific battery of standard audiologic testing with the goal of detecting pseudohypacusis in children. RESULTS: Successful if additional interventions such as exploratory tympanotomy were avoided. CONCLUSIONS: Pseudohypacusis was identified in 18 patients with a majority having an antecedent history of trauma. Additional interventions were canceled upon the detection of true threshold values. A high index of suspicion of pseudohypacusis in children and an organized standardized battery of audiologic testing will facilitate early identification of these patients and will avert inappropriate interventions.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1998

A retrospective analysis of airway endoscopy in patients less than 1-month old.

OBJECTIVES: To review the authors' experience with neonates who underwent endoscopy over an 8-year period. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective review in a tertiary care children's hospital. METHODS: Sixty-two neonates who underwent endoscopy were reviewed. RESULTS: Common indications for endoscopy were stridor (56%), apnea/cyanotic episodes (30%), and feeding difficulty (23%). Laryngeal abnormalities were the most frequent finding, including laryngomalacia (19%), glottic edema (19%), and vocal cord paralysis (13%). Pierre Robin sequence was the most common associated anomaly. Forty-eight neonates (77.4%) had more than one endoscopic finding. Gastroesophageal reflux diagnosed by barium swallow or esophageal pH monitoring was found in 34%. Gastroesophageal reflux was the only identified etiologic factor in four cases. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging provided less information than endoscopy. CONCLUSIONS: Endoscopy in symptomatic neonates can determine etiology of distress most of the time. Multiple diagnoses were found in 77.4% of the neonates, emphasizing the need for a thorough aerodigestive tract examination. Concomitant diagnoses including gastroesophageal reflux, congenital heart disease, and pulmonary disease were found in 87.1% of neonates. Neonates have a higher likelihood of having multiple lesions in the aerodigestive tract as compared with older infants or children.

Apnea↗

PubMed1997

Balance in children with otitis media with effusion.

To determine the presence of balance disorders in young children who had otitis media with effusion (OME), 25 subjects, aged 13-57 months, diagnosed by pediatric otolaryngologists, were tested on the gross motor subtest of the Peabody Developmental Motor Scales, a standardized test of motor development with established norms. Parents also filled out questionnaires about their children's balance skills. Subjects with unilateral disease did not differ significantly from normals. Subjects with bilateral disease, however, were significantly impaired compared to normals on balance, locomotion and total score and they were significantly impaired compared to unilateral subjects on all scores. Parental perceptions of their children's balance correlated poorly with the test results. These data suggest that young children with bilateral otitis media with effusion are delayed in developing motor skills that require dynamic balance. Therefore, in spite of a negative history for balance problems physicians should consider balance performance when developing a treatment plan. Children with balance impairments might benefit from more aggressive intervention.

Child, Preschool↗

PubMed1997

Modulation of immune cell function by the autonomic nervous system.

This review discusses some of the major findings implicating the autonomic nervous system in the regulation of immune function. The sympathetic nervous system, the primary focus of this line of research, directly innervates the major lymphoid organs, and physiological release of sympathetic neurohormones at these sites has been documented. Leukocytes have been shown to express receptors for catecholamines, as well as neuropeptide Y, and studies in vitro and in vivo have indicated that occupation of these receptors by the appropriate ligands produces functional changes in immunological cells. Finally, altered sympathetic regulation may underlie some of the immunological abnormalities observed in chronic stress, clinical depression, and ageing.

Animals↗

PubMed1997

Tenuous airway in children with trisomy 21.

Multiple congenital anomalies are closely linked to Down syndrome (trisomy 21). Cardiac malformations are found in 40% of patients, a large number of whom will require a major surgical procedure. The importance of postextubation stridor in these children is frequently underestimated. A retrospective review of 99 trisomy 21 patients who underwent cardiovascular surgery revealed postextubation stridor in 24 (24.2%). Significant factors for the development of stridor included younger age (P=0.04), lower growth percentile for weight (P=0.03), and increased frequency of reintubation (P=0.04). Subglottic stenosis was found in 6 (6.1%). In 4 of these patients, an endotracheal tube of larger diameter than predicted for age was used. All 6 patients were less than the 10th percentile for weight. We conclude that Down syndrome patients deserve special considerations and modifications of standard intubation techniques for successful airway management.

Age Factors↗