Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35387688›Full record

ArticleJournal of otolaryngology - head & neck surgery = Le Journal d'oto-rhino-laryngologie et de chirurgie cervico-faciale2022

Routine evaluation of tonsillectomy specimens: a cross-sectional survey of Canadian Otolaryngology: Head and Neck Surgeons.

Alexi Kuhnow, Ahmed A Al-Sayed, Benjamin Taylor

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of otolaryngology - head & neck surgery = Le Journal d'oto-rhino-laryngologie et de chirurgie cervico-faciale, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
1.0field-weighted citation impact, top 25% of its field
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

2 citing papers in PubMed, 5 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. 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 at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Alexi KuhnowFaculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, 1459 Oxford Street, Halifax, NS, B3H 4R2, Canada. Alexi.Kuhnow@dal.ca.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5174-1640
Ahmed A Al-SayedDivision of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Nova Scotia Health Authority, 5820 University Ave, Halifax, NS, Canada.
Benjamin TaylorDivision of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Nova Scotia Health Authority, 5820 University Ave, Halifax, NS, Canada.
Nova Scotia Health Authority · CADalhousie University · CA

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundTonsillectomy is a commonly performed procedure in Canada. The rate of occult malignancy is rare in adult and pediatric populations. At present, no guidelines exist surrounding the need for routine histopathological evaluation of tonsil specimens when no malignancy is suspected.

methodsWe sent a confidential online survey to active members of the Canadian Society of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery (CSO-HNS) about their current tonsillectomy practice and beliefs surrounding the need for routine histopathological evaluation of tonsillectomy specimens when no malignancy is suspected. We used Opinio survey software for data collection and descriptive statistics.

results95 participants completed our survey (response rate 19.3%). Most participants reported performing both adult and pediatric tonsillectomies. When no malignancy is suspected, participant responses were split between whether they send tonsil specimens in pediatrics only (4.2%), in adults only (31.6%), or not sending specimens (29.5%). Half of the participants reported that routinely sending specimens to rule out occult malignancy is an institutional policy. Approximately 75% of participants were in favour of removing this practice in both the pediatric and adult populations.

conclusionEliminating the practice of automatically sending tonsil specimens for histopathological evaluation when no malignancy is suspected was supported by the majority of study participants. This is in keeping with Choosing Wisely, a campaign designed to facilitate conversations about unnecessary medical tests and procedures. Institutional change is likely required in order to alter this practice.

Indexed as

Neoplasms, Unknown PrimaryOtolaryngologySurgeonsTonsillectomyAdultCanadaChildCross-Sectional StudiesHumansPalatine TonsilClinical practiceOccult malignancyOtolaryngologyRoutine tonsillectomySurveyTonsillectomy specimen

Identifiers

PMID35387688
PMCPMC8985276
OpenAlexW4223579339

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

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.