Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34579787›Full record

ArticleJournal of otolaryngology - head & neck surgery = Le Journal d'oto-rhino-laryngologie et de chirurgie cervico-faciale2021

Cannabis related side effects in otolaryngology: a scoping review.

Jobanjit S Phulka, Joel W Howlett, Amanda Hu

Abstract readScoping Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of otolaryngology - head & neck surgery = Le Journal d'oto-rhino-laryngologie et de chirurgie cervico-faciale, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Cannabis Use and Risk of Chronic Rhinosinusitis and Sinus Surgery.Laryngoscope investigative otolaryngology · 2025
    Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Cannabis use amongst tinnitus patients: consumption patterns and attitudes.Journal of otolaryngology - head & neck surgery = Le Journal d'oto-rhino-laryngologie et de chirurgie cervico-faciale · 2023
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Jobanjit S PhulkaDivision of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Department of Surgery, 4th Floor, Gordon and Leslie Diamond Health Care Center, University of British Columbia, 2775 Laurel Street, Vancouver, BC, V5Z1M9, Canada.
Joel W HowlettDivision of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Department of Surgery, 4th Floor, Gordon and Leslie Diamond Health Care Center, University of British Columbia, 2775 Laurel Street, Vancouver, BC, V5Z1M9, Canada. joel.howlett@alumni.ubc.ca.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7502-8871
Amanda HuDivision of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Department of Surgery, 4th Floor, Gordon and Leslie Diamond Health Care Center, University of British Columbia, 2775 Laurel Street, Vancouver, BC, V5Z1M9, Canada.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundCannabis has been rapidly legalized in North America; however, limited evidence exists around its side effects. Health Canada defines side effect as a harmful and unintended response to a health product. Given drug safety concerns, this study's purpose was to review the unintended side effects of cannabis in otolaryngology.

methodsThe Preferred Reporting Items For Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) protocol was used to conduct a scoping review of the MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, and CENTRAL databases. (PROSPERO: CRD42020153022). English studies in adults were included from inception to the end of 2019. In-vitro, animal, and studies with n < 5 were excluded. Primary outcome was defined as unintended side effects (defined as any Otolaryngology symptom or diagnosis) following cannabis use. Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine: Levels of Evidence and risk of bias using the Risk of Bias in randomized trials (RoB 2) and Risk of Bias in Non-Randomized Studies of Interventions (ROBINS-I) tools were assessed.. Two authors independently reviewed all studies; the senior author settled any discrepancies.

resultsFive hundred and twenty-one studies were screened; 48 studies were analysed. Subspecialties comprised: Head and Neck (32), Otology (8), Rhinology (5), Airway (5), Laryngology (1). Cannabis use was associated with unintended tinnitus, vertigo, hearing loss, infection, malignancy, sinusitis, allergic rhinitis, thyroid dysfunction, and dyspnea. About half (54.1%) of studies showed increased side effects, or no change in symptoms following cannabis use. Oxford Levels of Evidence was 2-4 with substantial heterogeneity. Risk of bias assessment with RoB2 was low to high and ROBINS-1 was moderate to critical.

conclusionThis was the first comprehensive scoping review of unintended side effects of cannabis in Otolaryngology. The current literature is limited and lacks high-quality research Future randomized studies are needed to focus on therapeutic effects of cannabis in otolaryngology. Substantial work remains to guide clinicians to suggest safe, evidence-based choices for cannabis use.

Indexed as

CannabisOtolaryngologyAnalgesicsEvidence-Based MedicineNorth AmericaAnalgesicsAdverse effectsCannabisHead and neckHearing lossScoping reviewSinusitisVoice

Identifiers

PMID34579787
PMCPMC8474823

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.