Background Given that nasal septoplasty is a common procedure in otolaryngology – head and neck surgery, the objective of this study was to evaluate the quality and readability of online patient education materials on septoplasty. Methods A Google search was performed using eight different search terms related to septoplasty. Six different tools were used to assess the readability of included patient education materials. These included the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, Flesch Reading Ease, Gunning-Fog Index, Simple Measure of Gobbledygook Index, Coleman-Liau Index, and Automated Readability Index. The DISCERN tool was used to assess quality and reliability. Results Eighty-five online patient education materials were included. The average Flesch-Reading Ease score for all patient education materials was 54.9 ± 11.5, indicating they were fairly difficult to read. The average reading grade level was 10.5 ± 2.0, which is higher than the recommended reading level for patient education materials. The mean DISCERN score was 42.9 ± 10.5 and 42% (36/85) of articles had DISCERN scores less than 39, corresponding to poor or very poor quality. Conclusion The majority of online patient education materials on septoplasty are written above the recommended reading levels and have significant deficiencies in terms of their quality and reliability. Clinicians and patients should be aware of the shortcomings of these resources and consider the impact they may have on patients’ decision making.

Background: Operating room (OR) efficiency is related to minutes spared from surgical time and has been linked to the make up of surgical teams and operating room workplace. The research on the efficiency of surgical nursing staff members is scant. The current study evaluates the effect of ENT trained OR resource nurses on the efficiency of operating time during ENT procedures. Methods: Five hundred seventy-three ENT surgery cases from 4 surgeons were retrospectively reviewed. Two hundred forty-two cases had ENT OR nursing staff and 331 cases had non-ENT OR nursing staff. Requested operative times (ROT) and true operative times (TOT) were analyzed. The difference between the TOT and ROT was used to measure operating time efficiency. Results: Cases with ROT < 30 min (M =-1.19, SD = 5.01) required 3.34 min less than planned for when an ENT nurse was present compared to those with non-ENT nursing staff which required on average 2.15 min (M = 2.15, SD = 5.68) longer than ROT. Furthermore, cases with ROT > 30 min (M =-4.32, SD = 10.85) required 10.85 min less than planned for when an ENT nurse was present. Conversely with non-ENT nursing staff cases with a ROT > 30 min required on average 6.53 min (M = 6.53, SD = 11.85) longer than ROT. Conclusion: ENT resource nurses were shown to improve OR efficiency in cases less than 30 min and greater than 30 min. Cases that were greater than 30 min showed the largest increase in efficiency. Specialized ENT nursing staff improved efficiency during common ENT surgeries.

Background: Invasive streptococcus pyogenes infections are rarely seen in healthy children. The multifocal nature of the following case is unusual and presents a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge for the treating physician. Case presentation: In this case report, we discuss an otherwise healthy 11-year-old boy with a multifocal invasive streptococcus pyogenes infection presenting with a myriad of musculoskeletal complications at distant sites. He suffered from multiple abscesses, septic arthritis of sternoclavicular joint and multiple sites of osteomyelitis, osteitis and tenosynovitis in the neck hand and foot. A significant course of intravenous antibiotic therapy was required for resolution of disease.Conclusions: Streptococcus pyogenes is a common culprit in head and neck infections. This case is unique because of the multifocal nature of our patient’s infection. The Otolaryngologist – Head and Neck Surgeon should acknowledge the potential for rare and diffuse complications from invasive streptococcus pyogenes infection.

Background By studying the odds of developing idiopathic subglottic stenosis in the isolated and genetically unique Hutterite population, this study sought to strengthen the hypothesis that an underlying genetic predisposition may exist for its development. Methods A retrospective chart review examined the medical records of all adult patients treated for idiopathic subglottic stenosis in Saskatchewan between 2008 and 2018. Cases were segregated into Hutterite and non-Hutterite. Results Four out of 36 cases of idiopathic subglottic stenosis occurred among Hutterites. The odds of a Hutterite developing idiopathic subglottic stenosis are 21.89 times higher than for non-Hutterites. Positive family history was only observed in the Hutterite population. Conclusion The study strengthens the hypothesis that genetics may play a role in the aetiology of idiopathic subglottic stenosis by demonstrating that the genetically and socially unique Hutterites are more likely to develop this rare disease. This study is the first to demonstrate that a specific subpopulation is at a higher risk for developing idiopathic subglottic stenosis.