Background: Previous studies have shown that respiratory diseases are associated with an increased risk of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, whether there is a correlation between chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) and RA is not known. Due to the high incidence of CRS, it remains to be clarified whether we should pay additional attention to RA risk in the huge population of CRS.
Methods: We used a 2-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to explore the causal effects of CRS on the incidence of RA. The inverse variance weighted (IVW) approach was used as the main analysis in the MR randomization study. Then, we used the data from the U.K. Biobank to examine the association between RA and CRS at the individual level in a prospective cohort. We identified patients with CRS at the time of recruitment and further followed the incidence of RA until 2021. The risk of developing RA in patients with CRS was determined by a multivariate Cox regression model. We used 3 multivariate Cox models to adjust for individual characteristics, lifestyle factors and concomitant diseases, respectively.
Results: The MR analysis by the IVW model suggested that the odds ratio of RA associated with genetically predicted CRS was 2.39 (95% CI [1.08-5.30]; p = .032). In the first multivariate model adjusting for individual characteristics, CRS was associated with a 47% increase of risk of developing RA (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.47; 95% CI [1.12-1.90]). In the second multivariate model adjusting for lifestyle factors, the HR of RA associated with CRS was 1.48 (95% CI [1.15-1.90]). In the third multivariate model, chronic sinusitis was associated with a 32% increase in RA risk (HR = 1.32; 95% CI [1.03-1.70]).
Conclusion: CRS has a genetically causal effect on the incidence of RA, and the risk of RA is greatly higher in CRS at the individual level. This is the first study to reveal an association between CRS and RA. Due to the high incidence of CRS, it is recommended that additional attention should be paid to the increased RA risk in patients with CRS compared to that in common people.
Background: Epistaxis is a common reason for emergency department (ED) visits, accounting for approximately 1 of every 200 ED visits in the United States annually and up to one-third of all otolaryngology (ENT)-related ED encounters.
Objectives: To detail reasons for ENT consultation for epistaxis in the ED, understand how consultation impacts patient care, assess follow-up patterns after emergency care, and study patient care after transfer or referral into the ED.
Methods: Retrospective chart review of 592 adult patients with epistaxis managed in a tertiary care ED setting between 2017 and 2018. Patients with known follow-up, ENT consult in the ED, or admission were included, while patients with trauma, recent head and neck surgery, or abnormal anatomy were excluded.
Results: The most common reasons for ENT consultation for epistaxis were for advanced management, referral to the ED from an outside facility or provider, and recent head and neck surgery. In total, 48.2% of patients treated for epistaxis in the ED received an ENT consultation. ENT consultation was associated with a higher likelihood of receiving absorbable or nonabsorbable packing (92.4% vs 36.1%). In total, 40.4% of patients referred into the ED from an outside facility or provider had no change in their management after receiving an ENT consult. Patients referred to the ED and White patients were significantly more likely to receive an ENT consult. Secondary analyses revealed that more White patients had an established outpatient ENT provider than patients of other races. On multivariate analysis, patients who received an ENT consult spent 75.2 min longer in the ED.
Conclusion: The high percentage of patients referred or transferred to the ED for epistaxis management with no change in interventions after ENT consultation indicates a continued need to develop more precise clinical care pathways. Additionally, there may be gaps between White and non-White patients in access to ENT care.