Open access
Open access
Antibiotics for acute rhinosinusitis in adults – Cochrane Library (free for a limited period)
Summary: Antibiotics for sinus infection of short duration in adults – Cochrane Library (free)
“Considering antibiotic resistance, and the very low incidence of serious complications, we conclude there is no place for antibiotics for people with uncomplicated acute rhinosinusitis.”
Earwax, Of All Things, Poses Unrecognized Risk In Long-Term Care – Kaiser Health News (free)
“Of all the indignities that come with aging, excessive earwax may be the most insidious… when it goes unrecognized, it can pose serious problems, especially for the 2.2 million people who live in U.S. nursing homes and assisted living centers.”
Invited commentary: Helping children with hearing loss from otitis media with effusion – The Lancet (free)
“Short-course oral prednisolone is not an effective treatment for most children aged 2–8 years with persistent otitis media with effusion but is well tolerated—findings from OSTRICH, the first placebo-controlled trial” (via @TheLancet see Tweet)
Use of Oximetry to Determine Need for Adenotonsillectomy for Sleep-Disordered Breathing – Pediatrics (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentary: Oximetry Results Help Determine Need for Adenotonsillectomy – Medscape (free registration required)
Association Between Portable Music Player Use and Hearing Loss Among Children of School Age in the Netherlands – JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Portable music players tied to hearing loss in kids – Reuters (free) AND Portable Music Player Use Linked to Hearing Loss in Children – MPR (free)
See also recently published CHEST guidelines on the management of cough in specific populations: Classification of Cough as a Symptom in Adults and Management Algorithms (free) AND Pharmacologic and Nonpharmacologic Treatment for Acute Cough Associated With the Common Cold (free) AND Cough Due to TB and Other Chronic Infections (free) AND Chronic Cough Due to Gastroesophageal Reflux in Adults (free) AND Symptomatic Treatment of Cough Among Adult Patients With Lung Cancer (free) AND Cough in the athlete (free) AND Occupational and Environmental Contributions to Chronic Cough in Adults (free) AND Treatment of Unexplained Chronic Cough (free) AND Use of Management Pathways or Algorithms in Children With Chronic Cough (free) AND Management of Children With Chronic Wet Cough and Protracted Bacterial Bronchitis (free)
Association of Long-Term Risk of Respiratory, Allergic, and Infectious Diseases With Removal of Adenoids and Tonsils in Childhood – JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery (free for a limited period)
Commentaries: Tonsillectomy in childhood raises risk of respiratory diseases – OnMedica (free) AND Tonsillectomy, Adenoidectomy in Childhood Tied to Long-Term Health Risks – Physician’s First Watch (free) AND Tonsillectomy Risks May Outweigh Benefits – The New York Times (10 articles per month are free)
Recurrent spontaneous vertigo with interictal headshaking nystagmus – Neurology (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: New Type of Vertigo Identified – American Academy of Neurology (free) AND Neurologists Identify New Type of Vertigo – MPR (free) AND New Type of Treatable Vertigo Identified – Medscape (free registration required) AND New Type of Spontaneous Vertigo Identified in Korea – MedPage Today (free registration required)
Residential proximity to livestock farms is associated with a lower prevalence of atopy – Occupational & Environmental Medicine (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Living near a farm could help prevent allergies – UPI (free) AND Atopy less common in adults living near a livestock farm – OnMedica (free) AND Just living close to livestock might lower allergy risk – Reuters (free)
Postoperative Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy Versus Postoperative Radiotherapy in High-Risk Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck: The Randomized Phase III TROG 05.01 Trial – Journal of Clinical Oncology (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: No Chemo Benefit for Head and Neck Skin Cancer – MedPage Today (free registration required) AND No benefit of adding chemotherapy to postop radiation in cutaneous SCCHN – medwireNews (free)
Self-reported Hearing Difficulty and Risk of Accidental Injury in US Adults, 2007 to 2015 – The JAMA Otolaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Trouble hearing? It could increase your risk of an injury – Brigham and Women’s Hospital, via ScienceDaily (free) AND Hearing Loss May Make You Accident Prone – The New York Times (free)
The 2017 Bethesda System for Reporting Thyroid Cytopathology – Thyroid (free)
Commentary: Thyroid Nodules: Bethesda System Update Changes Clinical Practice – Medscape (free registration required)
Association of Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss With Risk of Cardiocerebrovascular Disease: A Study Using Data From the Korea National Health Insurance Service (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentary: Sudden Deafness May Flag CVD Risk – MedPage Today (free registration required)
Author Interview: Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders Among Surgeons and Interventionalists (free)
Commentary: Work-Related Musculoskeletal Injury Common in Surgeons, Interventionalists – Medscape (free registration required)
Association of Gastroesophageal Reflux With Malignancy of the Upper Aerodigestive Tract in Elderly Patients – JAMA Otolaryngology-Head &Neck Surgery (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: GERD Associated With Increased Risk of Malignancy of the Upper Aerodigestive Tract – MedicalResearch (free) AND First-of-its-kind study of upper aerodigestive cancers – MedicalXpress (free) AND Chronic Heartburn Tied to Higher Odds for Head, Neck Cancers – Drugs.com (free)
Hearing aids make communication easier for people with mild hearing loss – NIHR Signal (free)
See original article: Hearing aids for mild to moderate hearing loss in adults – Cochrane Library (link to abstract – $ for full-text) AND Summary: Hearing aids for mild to moderate hearing loss in adults (free) AND Commentary: Hearing aids: evidence, equity and rationing – Evidently Cochrane (free)
Association of Age-Related Hearing Loss With Cognitive Function, Cognitive Impairment, and Dementia: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis – JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Hearing loss may be a risk factor for dementia – Reuters (free) AND As hearing fades with age, dementia risk may rise – MedicalXpress (free)
Association of Neurocognitive Deficits With Radiotherapy or Chemoradiotherapy for Patients With Head and Neck Cancer – JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Head and neck cancer survivors have long-lasting cognitive problems – Reuters (free) AND Thinking Abilities May Decline After Treatment For Head and Neck Cancers – MedicalResearch (free)
Topical Tranexamic Acid Compared With Anterior Nasal Packing for Treatment of Epistaxis in Patients Taking Antiplatelet Drugs: Randomized Controlled Trial – Academic Emergency Medicine (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentary: Topical TXA in Epistaxis – R.E.B.E.L.em (free)
NICE Guideline: Sinusitis (acute): antimicrobial prescribing (free)
News release: Antibiotics should not be used to treat the majority of sinus infections, NICE says (free)
Olfactory Dysfunction Predicts Subsequent Dementia in Older U.S. Adults – Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Elderly Who Have Trouble Identifying Odors Face Risk of Dementia – NewsWise (free) AND Poor Sense of Smell May Signal Impending Dementia – The New York Times (10 articles per month are free) AND Sniffing out dementia with a simple smell test – Medical News Today (free)
Olfaction and incident Parkinson disease in US white and black older adults – Neurology (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Parkinson’s: Sniff test could predict risk up to a decade earlier – Medical News Today (free) AND Can a Smell Test Predict Parkinson’s? – MedPage Today (free registration required) AND Scratch-and-sniff test could predict Parkinson’s even earlier – Michigan State University, via EurekAlert (free) AND Parkinson’s Disease May Be Diagnosed With Smell Test 10 Years Before Symptoms – Medical Daily (free)
Rapid Recommendations: Corticosteroids for sore throat: a clinical practice guideline – The BMJ (free text and infographic)
See also other Rapid Recommendations from The BMJ (all free)
See also: Executive Summary (free) AND News Release (free)
Commentaries: Neck Mass in Adults: Guideline for Evaluation Provides Framework for Timely Diagnosis – NewsWise (free) AND Guidelines Issued on Evaluating Neck Masses – Physician’s First Watch (free)
Commentaries: Dietary Approach Found as Effective as Medications for Treating Type of Reflux Disease – The JAMA Network (free) AND Treating Reflux With Diet – The New York Times (10 articles per month are free)
A small retrospective cohort study suggests a plant-based, Mediterranean-style diet may be as effective as medication.
Natural History and Tumor Volume Kinetics of Papillary Thyroid Cancers During Active Surveillance – JAMA Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery (free for a week)
Author interview audio: Natural History and Tumor Volume Kinetics of Papillary Thyroid Cancers (free)
Commentaries: Findings Support Use of Active Surveillance for Low-Risk Papillary Thyroid Cancer – The JAMA Network (free) AND Many People Can Delay Treatment For Thyroid Cancer, Study Finds – NPR (free)
Effect of Oral Prednisolone on Symptom Duration and Severity in Nonasthmatic Adults With Acute Lower Respiratory Tract Infection: A Randomized Clinical Trial – JAMA (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Oral Steroid Does Not Reduce Lower Respiratory Tract Infection Symptoms in Nonasthmatic Adults – JAMA Network (free) AND No Benefit for Oral Steroids in Lower Respiratory Tract Infection – Medscape (free registration required) AND Don’t use steroids for chest infections, GPs advised – Pulse (free)
In patients with acute respiratory infection, without evidence of pneumonia or asthma, the addition of corticosteroids did not reduce symptom duration or severity.
Multimedia: Author Interview (free) AND JAMA Report Video (free)
Commentaries: Study Examines Effectiveness of Steroid Medication for Sore Throat – The JAMA Network (free) AND Corticosteroids for sore throat: a mixed bag of results – Clinical Advisor (free)
Source: ACP Journal Club ($)
Dexamethasone increased complete symptom resolution at 48 hours (35.4% vs 27.1%), but not at 24 hours. Trade-offs between the benefits and risks of dexamethasone in this situation are uncertain.
Analysis of Plasma Epstein–Barr Virus DNA to Screen for Nasopharyngeal Cancer – New England Journal of Medicine (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Quick Take Video Summary: EBV DNA Screening for Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma (free)
Commentaries: Can a ‘liquid biopsy’ detect cancer and save lives? – STAT (free) AND Liquid Biopsy Passes Test for Nasopharyngeal Cancer – MedPage Today (free registration required) AND Early Detection of Nasopharyngeal Cancer With EBV DNA – Medscape (free registration required) AND Plasma Epstein–Barr virus DNA useful for nasopharyngeal carcinoma screening – 2 Minute Medicine (free)
Effectiveness of Tympanostomy Tubes for Otitis Media: A Meta-analysis – Pediatrics (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentary: Weigh Risks/Benefits of Tympanostomy Tubes: Researchers – Medscape (free registration required)
Source: EvidenceAlerts (free resource to find articles of interest)
“Tympanostomy tubes improve hearing at 1 to 3 months compared with watchful waiting, with no evidence of benefit by 12 to 24 months”
Early Hearing Detection and Vocabulary of Children With Hearing Loss – Pediatrics (free)
Commentary: Early Detection Improved Vocabulary Scores in Kids with Hearing Loss – MedPage Today (free registration required)
Personal Sound Amplification Products vs a Conventional Hearing Aid for Speech Understanding in Noise – JAMA (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
The Jama Network – For the Media: Certain OTC, less expensive hearing aids provide benefit similar to conventional hearing aid (free)
Commentaries: Less Expensive Hearing Devices May Work as Well as Traditional Hearing Aids – Physician’s First Watch (free) AND Study Boosts Case for OTC Hearing Aids – MedPage Today (free registration required) AND OTC Hearing Devices Effective Alternative for Some, Study Shows – Medscape (free registration required)
“Some over-the-counter sound amplification devices are nearly as effective as prescription hearing aids, according to a small JAMA study” (from Physician’s First Watch)
ACR Thyroid Imaging, Reporting and Data System (TI-RADS): White Paper of the ACR TI-RADS Committee – Journal of the American College of Radiology (free, and legal, PDF via Unpawall)
Commentary: New ultrasound scoring system for thyroid nodules to reduce unnecessary biopsies – University of Alabama at Birmingham, via EurekAlert (free)
Steroid injections into the inner ear may be safe for treating Ménière’s disease – NIHR Signal (free)
Original article: Intratympanic methylprednisolone versus gentamicin in patients with unilateral Ménière’s disease: a randomised, double-blind, comparative effectiveness trial – The Lancet (free)
Invited commentary: Ménière’s disease: damaged hearing but reduced vertigo – The Lancet (free)
See also: Balance retraining tool used in the study (free)
Commentaries: Online Rehabilitation Program Reduces Chronic Dizziness – Medscape (free registration required) AND Online Intervention Could Reduce Chronic Dizziness – Physician’s First Watch (free)
Screening for Thyroid Cancer: US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement – JAMA (free)
Editorial 1: The USPSTF Recommendation on Thyroid Cancer Screening: Don’t “Check Your Neck” (free)
Editorial 2: Cancer Screening, Overdiagnosis, and Regulatory Capture (free)
Editorial 3: How to Look for Thyroid Cancer (free)
Commentaries: No Symptoms, No Thyroid Screening, Says USPSTF – Medscape (free registration required) AND Don’t Screen For Thyroid Cancer, Task Force Says – NPR Health News (free) AND USPSTF Says No to Thyroid Cancer Screening – MedPage Today (free registration required)
The USPSTF recommended against screening for thyroid cancer in asymptomatic adults with “grade D” recommendation (Grade D = “The USPSTF recommends against the service. There is moderate or high certainty that the service has no net benefit or that the harms outweigh the benefits”).
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Guideline for the Prevention of Surgical Site Infection, 2017 – JAMA Surgery (free) (RT @jankluytmans and @CIDRAP_ASP see Tweet)
Invited commentary: Surgical Site Infection Prevention – What We Know and What We Do Not Know – JAMA Surgery (free)
Commentary: ‘Long-Awaited’ CDC Guidelines on SSI Prevention Released – Medscape (free registration required)
Related: Global guidelines on the prevention of surgical site infection 2016 – World Health Organization (free)
Mortality Trends After a Voluntary Checklist-based Surgical Safety Collaborative – Annals of Surgery (link to abstract – free PDF available)
Sources: Global Health NOW Newsletter (free) AND South Carolina Hospitals Saw Surgery Deaths Drop After Implementing WHO Checklist – AJMC News (free) AND A simple checklist prevents deaths after surgery, a large new study suggests – The Washington Post (a few articles per month are free)
See also: WHO Surgical Safety Checklist – World Health Organization (free) AND A Surgical Safety Checklist to Reduce Morbidity and Mortality in a Global Population – New England Journal of Medicine (free)
ACR Appropriateness Criteria Adds Topics, Covers More Clinical Variants Than Ever Before (free)
Browse Appropriateness Criteria Topics (free)
Source: Newswise
This comprehensive guide from American College of Radiology (ACR) covers 230 topics with more than 1,100 clinical indications and has just been updated. It is a very useful resource for doctors in all specialties to guide which exam is most appropriate in each clinical situation.
Prevention of everolimus-related stomatitis in women with hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer using dexamethasone mouthwash (SWISH): a single-arm, phase 2 trial – The Lancet Oncology (link to abstract – $ required for full-text)
See also: SWISH Four Times a Day to Keep Oral Mucositis Away – Medscape (free registration required)
This simple and inexpensive treatment resulted in a more than ten-times reduction in the incidence of grade 2 or higher stomatitis.