New research is homing in on what may underlie the vaping-linked lung disease that, as of December 4, 2019, has caused 2,291 hospitalizations and 48 deaths. When researchers at the […]
Medicare Sequester Set to Commence March 1
Health care providers implore Congress to take note of the drag the Medicare reductions will have on the economy, their practices and their patients’ access to care.
Health Reform 101: Use this primer to navigate the changes ahead
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (ACA) is described as the most sweeping health care legislation passed in the U.S. since Medicare’s implementation in 1965. The health reform law is already changing the health care system, but the most profound modifications are yet to come. The law will affect otolaryngologists’ practices in many ways, both direct and indirect. Here are some areas of the law to consider.
In Memoriam: Patrick Edgar Brookhouser, MD
Born in Council Bluffs, Iowa, Patrick Edgar Brookhouser, MD, grew up in Missouri Valley, Iowa, where he graduated valedictorian from the local high school. His intellect and natural curiosity earned him numerous academic awards, and he graduated from Creighton University summa cum laude and from Johns Hopkins Medical School as a member of Alpha Omega Alpha.
Resident Tips: Private and academic practitioners offer career advice
For residents embarking on their professional careers or physicians changing a career, navigating the many issues involved in making a decision that will significantly affect both their professional and personal lives can be daunting and challenging. To provide some guidance, practicing physicians with many years of experience in their respective careers discussed these issues during a session held here Sept. 13 at the 2011 American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS) Annual Meeting.
Corticosteroid Confusion: Evidence lacking for most conditions, panelists say
Although steroids are widely used to treat a variety of otolaryngologic conditions, the short- and long-term side effects remain a concern and fuel the need to better understand their proper role. Contributing to the ongoing controversy over their use are gaps in the evidence, panelists said here Sept. 12 at the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Annual Meeting.
Biofilms in Otolaryngology: Relation to clinical disease needs more study, experts say
It is now well recognized that pathogens found in biofilms play a role in many mucosal-based otolaryngologic-related infections, but what that role is and how to prevent or treat biofilms remain unknown, concluded a panel of experts convened here on Sept. 17 at the 2011 American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Annual Meeting.
Making the Diagnosis: Sleep expert warns about OSA risk in obese children
The most significant danger to children now is obesity, and of the many related comorbidities that affect obese children, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) will impact a child’s life more than anything else, according to Carole Marcus, MD, an invited lecturer here last month at SLEEP 2011, the 25th Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies.Dr. Marcus is a professor of pediatrics at the University of Pennsylvania and director of the sleep center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
Minimizing Risk: Experts share tips on how to manage OSA patients undergoing surgery
For patients undergoing surgery, identification of known or suspected obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is critical to avoid or minimize surgical complications that are increased in these patients, experts said here last month at SLEEP 2011, the 25th Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies.
A Prevalent Problem: Studies report sleep deprivation in colleagues, patients
Among the issues highlighted here last month at SLEEP 2011, the 25th Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies, was the effect of inadequate sleep on both the health of the individual and on society at large. Two studies presented at the meeting, for example, looked at the effects of inadequate sleep on health care providers and the risks posed to their health and the health of their patients. Another study put into context just how underreported inadequate sleep and sleep disorders are and elaborated on the challenge this poses to otolaryngologists and others who are on the frontlines managing these disorders.