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The developing role of a paediatric voice clinic: a review of our experience
B C Papsin1, A J Pengilly, S E Leighton
1Department of Otolaryngology, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Trust, London, UK.
Insights
This study details the establishment of a specialized pediatric voice clinic, highlighting its crucial role in diagnosing and managing voice disorders in children through expert assessment and emerging technologies.
Area of Science:
- Otolaryngology
- Pediatric Voice Disorders
- Laryngology
Background:
- Paediatric voice disorders require specialized diagnostic and management approaches.
- Tertiary otolaryngology departments can benefit from dedicated pediatric voice clinics.
- Referrals stem from both surgical and non-surgical management of laryngeal conditions and broader medical diagnoses.
Purpose of the Study:
- To report the experience of developing a pediatric voice clinic.
- To describe the emerging role of this specialized clinic within a tertiary otolaryngology department.
- To present guidelines for establishing similar clinics.
Main Methods:
- Multidisciplinary team assessment including a pediatric laryngologist and speech-language therapist.
- Perceptual voice assessment.
- Qualitative voice assessment using electrolaryngography.
- Discussion of direct visualization methods and suitability for pediatric patients.
Main Results:
- The clinic successfully integrated into the tertiary otolaryngology department.
- Experience gained provides a basis for establishing guidelines.
- The clinic serves diverse referral needs, from post-operative care to characterizing voice in complex medical conditions.
Conclusions:
- Specialized pediatric voice clinics are valuable additions to tertiary otolaryngology departments.
- A structured approach involving expert assessment is key to managing pediatric voice disorders.
- Guidelines derived from this experience can facilitate the development of new clinics.
Objective:
We report our experience in developing a paediatric voice clinic within a tertiary otolaryngology department and describe the emerging role of this specialized clinic.
Materials:
Currently our referral base is divided between other otolaryngologists within our department who require voice assessment as part of the pre- or post-operative management of laryngeal disorders (e.g. cysts, webs, vocal fold palsies, laryngo-tracheal reconstruction) and other professionals within our hospital who require characterisation of voice within the broader task of defining medical conditions in which voice abnormalities exist (e.g. mucopolysaccharidoses, functional dysphonias).
Methods:
The patients were assessed by a team consisting of a paediatric laryngologist and a speech and language therapist. Each patient underwent a perceptual voice assessment and qualitative voice assessment using electrolaryngography. Direct visualisation was attempted and methods of and suitability for, such examination are discussed.
Results:
Our experience is reviewed and guidelines for the establishment of a paediatric voice clinic are presented.