[Antiseptics in otorhinolaryngology-a substance overview]

For preoperative skin antisepsis, alcohol-containing iodine solutions and octenidine are suitable. For wound antisepsis, polyhexanide and hypochlorous acid (HOCL) are also available, but only PVP-iodine and HOCL can be applied to cartilage. Chlorhexidine should only be used as mouth- and bodywash for Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) decolonization. For the many other throat antiseptics, evidence of clinical efficacy is lacking. For decolonization of the nares, polyhexanide and octenidine are available as nasal gels, but these are inferior to mupirocin for MRSA decolonization. PVP-iodine and HOCL are safe to use for nasal irrigation, but only HOCL has proven effective to improve symptoms of chronic rhinosinusitis. All antiseptics exhibit a certain ototoxicity. With an intact eardrum, acetic acid-containing eardrops can be used to prevent and treat external otitis and myringitis. When the eardrum is perforated, only alcohol-free PVP-iodine and HOCL may be used.

Thematic coverage and readability of online patient information on cochlear implant care

INTRODUCTION

The treatment of patients with a cochlear implant (CI) is usually an elective, complex and interdisciplinary process. As an important source of information, patients often access the internet prior to treatment. The quality of internet-based information regarding thematic coverage has not yet been analysed in detail. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyse the information on CI care available on the internet regarding its thematic coverage and readability.

MATERIAL METHODS

Eight search phrases related to CI care were defined as part of the study. A checklist for completeness of thematic coverage was then created for each search phrase. The current German CI clinical practice guideline and the white paper on CI care in Germany were used as a basis. As a further parameter, readability was assessed using Flesch Reading Ease Scores. The search phrases were used for an internet search with Google. The first ten results were then analysed with regard to thematic coverage, readability and the provider of the website.

RESULTS

A total of 80 websites were identified, which were set up by 54 different providers (16 providers were found in multiple entries) from eight different provider groups. The average completeness of thematic coverage was 41.6 ± 28.2%. Readability according to the Flesch Reading Ease Score was categorised as "hard to read" on average (34.7 ± 14.2 points, range: 0-72). There was a negative statistically significant correlation between the thematic coverage of content and readability (Spearman's rank correlation: r = - 0.413, p = 0.00014). The completeness of thematic coverage of information on CI care available on the internet was highly heterogeneous and had a significant negative correlation with the readability. This result should be taken into account by both the providers of internet information and by patients when using internet-based information on CI care and help to further improve the quality of web-based information.

Quality control in cochlear implant therapy: clinical practice guidelines and registries in European countries

PURPOSE

The treatment with a cochlear implant (CI) is the gold standard in therapy of patients with profound hearing loss or deafness. Successful hearing rehabilitation with a CI is a complex, multi-stage process. In medicine, "Clinical Practice Guidelines" (CPG) are widely accepted for the standardization of such processes. These are supplemented by medical registries in which data regarding the treatment can be collected and evaluated. The aim of this paper is to identify currently existing CI-related CPGs and registries in Europe.

METHODS

Between 01/2021 and 06/2021, 42 countries on the European continent, including the United Kingdom, Russia and Turkey, were screened using an internet search (search engine: Google) and a key word search in the Pubmed database. Search terms were the respective country name combined with the following terms: "Cochlear Implant", "CI", "Cochlear implant clinical practice guideline", "CI Guideline", "Cochlear Implant Registry", "CI Registry", "Ear nose throat society". The internet search was conducted in English as well as in the corresponding national language. The objective was to identify a CI-related CPG or registry.

RESULTS

A CPG was found in 16 of 42 (38%) countries. In terms of population, this accounts for 645 million out of 838 million people (77%). A registry existed in 4 of the 42 (10%) countries assessed. This corresponds to 102 million out of 838 million (12%) people. In total, 4 out of 42 countries (10%) had both a CPG and a registry.

CONCLUSION

Our work shows numerous efforts in Europe to standardize CI care at the national level. While most people in Europe already live in countries with a CPG, this is not the case for CI registries. European-wide consensus on CPGs or registries does not yet exist. The present study thus provides a first assessment of the distribution of CI-related CPGs and registries.

[Development of the publication activity at the German university hospitals for Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery during the SARS-CoV-2-pandemic in 2020]

INTRODUCTION

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has led to profound limitations in patient care and student teaching at the University Hospitals of Otorhinolaryngology (ORL). In contrast, the impact on research has been variable. To classify the pandemic-related effect on research, the development of the number of scientific publications of the German ORL university hospitals before and during the pandemic was analyzed.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The publication performance between 2015 and 2020 of the 39 current chairmen was surveyed using a literature search (Pubmed). All entries relating to the chairmen of the university hospital as first, last or co-author were included. The absolute and relative development of each author's publication performance was determined and evaluated using nonparametric statistical methods.

RESULTS

A total of 2420 publications could be documented. From 2015 to 2019, an average of 368 publications were published per year. In 2020, this number increased by 57.9 % to 581 publications. While the number of monthly publications remained constant between 2015 and 2019, a significant increase was seen from May 2020 up to a maximum of 74 publications in September 2020. In 2020, 34 articles (5.9 %) had a thematic relation to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, with 7 of these papers (20.6 %) resulting from cross-site publications.

CONCLUSION

In 2020, the number of scientific publications was raised to more than 1.5 times the usual annual publications. This increase was clearly related in time to the reduction of elective patient care during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic starting in mid-March 2020. Probably, free time capacities enabled this increased publication output. Our results confirm the great scientific potential of the ORL university hospitals, which has been successfully implemented despite the pandemic.

[Implementation of an operational concept in an ENT clinic in the context of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic]

Die SARS-CoV-2-Pandemie stellt das gesamte medizinische Versorgungssystem vor große Herausforderungen. Gerade in universitären Einrichtungen als Maximalversorger ist eine höhere Exposition zu potenziell infektiösen Patienten oder tatsächlichen COVID-19-Kranken zu erwarten. Es musste kurzfristig ein Betriebskonzept entwickelt werden, das den aktuellen Hygiene-Empfehlungen des Robert Koch-Instituts (RKI), den Empfehlungen der führenden Fachgesellschaften und dem daraus abgeleiteten internen Hygieneplan entsprach. Hierbei sind die Patientensicherheit und der Mitarbeiterschutz gleichermaßen zu beachten.

In Zusammenarbeit mit dem Institut für Medizinische Mikrobiologie und Krankenhaushygiene sowie dem Betriebsärztlichen Dienst wurden Maßnahmen festgelegt, um trotz begrenzter diagnostischer und Ausrüstungsressourcen Lösungen zu erarbeiten, um die COVID-19-Übertragungsgefahr für Untersucher und Patienten zu minimieren. Hierzu wurde ein Betriebskonzept erarbeitet, das aus verschiedenen Einzelmaßnahmen bestand, wie z. B. der Reduktion der ambulanten Patientenbehandlung auf Notfälle, lebensbedrohliche Erkrankungen und dringliche Nachsorgen, eine Doppeltriage von Patienten sowie die Einführung von Behandlungsteams.

Das neue erarbeitete Betriebskonzept konnte erfolgreich innerhalb weniger Tage umgesetzt werden. Nach ersten Erfahrungen aus dem Realbetrieb und mehreren „Hygienebegehungen“ waren lediglich geringfügige Nachbesserungen des Konzeptes erforderlich. Alle Maßnahmen wurden schriftlich im klinikinternen Qualitätshandbuch dokumentiert und sind allen Mitarbeitern zugänglich. Da es sich bei der SARS-CoV-2-Pandemie um einen dynamischen Prozess mit regelmäßiger Änderung des Entwicklungs- und Informationsstandes handelt, wird das Betriebskonzept regelmäßig neu auf Gültigkeit überprüft und ggf. angepasst.