Voice-related quality of life impacts patients with subglottic stenosis, Study says

Written By : Dr. Nandita Mohan |Medically Reviewed By : Dr. Kamal Kant Kohli Published On 2022-02-04T09:00:51+05:30 | Updated On 4 Feb 2022 9:01 AM IST

Researchers have recently found in a new study that voice-related quality of life (QOL) is impacted in patients with subglottic stenosis (SGS) in a predictable way.

The study has been published in the American Journal of Otolaryngology.

The diagnosis of subglottic stenosis (SGS) is usually made by clinical assessment and definitively by a direct endoscopic examination. Literature reveals that different spirometric values in relation to anatomical grading and severity of subglottic stenosis cases of upper airway obstruction have been evaluated.

Idiopathic subglottic stenosis is considered to be recurrent in nature, hence a routine follow-up is necessary for monitoring progression of the stenosis.

Hence, Michael Eggerstedt and colleagues from the Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Rush University Medical Center, United States of America conducted the present study to identify the correlation between in-office spirometry data and voice-related quality of life in patients with subglottic stenosis (SGS).

Patients with SGS of any etiology were included when in-office spirometric data was available in addition to voice-related patient-reported outcomes (PROM) data in the form of the Voice Handicap Index-10 (VHI-10) and/or the Voice-Related Quality of Life (V-RQOL) survey.

Overall survey scores and individual question responses were assessed for degree of correlation to spirometric data.

The results showed that-

a. Twenty-nine patients were included in the final analysis.

b. Overall mean total VHI-10 scores totaled 7.15 (SD 9.11), while mean overall V-RQOL scores totaled 78.41 (SD 16.45).

c. Both PEF and PIF rates correlated to total scores on the VHI and V-RQOL surveys.

d. This correlation was stronger with PIF than with PEF, and with the V-RQOL than with the VHI.

e. Questions related to breathlessness most closely correlated with spirometric data.

Therefore, the authors concluded that "Voice-related QOL is impacted in patients with SGS in a predictable way. Breathlessness while speaking may be more impactful than inability to produce speech in this population."

Dr. Nandita Mohan

Dr. Nandita Mohan is a practicing pediatric dentist with more than 5 years of clinical work experience. Along with this, she is equally interested in keeping herself up to date about the latest developments in the field of medicine and dentistry which is the driving force for her to be in association with Medical Dialogues. She also has her name attached with many publications; both national and international. She has pursued her BDS from Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, Bangalore and later went to enter her dream specialty (MDS) in the Department of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry from Pt. B.D. Sharma University of Health Sciences. Through all the years of experience, her core interest in learning something new has never stopped. She can be contacted at editorial@medicaldialogues.in. Contact no. 011-43720751

Dr. Kamal Kant Kohli

Dr Kamal Kant Kohli-MBBS, DTCD- a chest specialist with more than 30 years of practice and a flair for writing clinical articles, Dr Kamal Kant Kohli joined Medical Dialogues as a Chief Editor of Medical News. Besides writing articles, as an editor, he proofreads and verifies all the medical content published on Medical Dialogues including those coming from journals, studies,medical conferences,guidelines etc. Email: drkohli@medicaldialogues.in. Contact no. 011-43720751