Objective: To evaluate the newborn hearing screening program in the University of Santo Tomas Hospital based on the quality indicators set by the Joint Committee on Infant Hearing (JCIH) 2019 position statement. Methods: Design: Cross-sectional study Setting: Tertiary Private Training Hospital Participants: All newborns delivered in 2019 at the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Hospital were considered for inclusion Results: The UST Hospital had 778 newborns in 2019, of which 687 (88.3%) completed newborn hearing screening by 1 month of age. There were 81 (10.4%) who failed initial hospitalbased screening and required outpatient re-screening while 11 (1.4%) of those who failed initial screening also failed subsequent rescreening. Forty-five (5.7%) newborns failed initial screening and subsequently passed re-screening. None of the eleven (0/11) patients completed comprehensive audiologic evaluation thus, patients necessitating referral for intervention were not identified. There were a total of 67 (8.6%) dropouts throughout the hearing evaluation process. Fifteen (15) infants were not screened due to unavailability of trained personnel at time of referral, four (4) infants were advised third screening while two (2) were advised observation instead of proceeding to confirmatory test. Conclusion The University of Santo Tomas Hospital newborn hearing screening program has yet to reach the quality indicators set by the Joint Committee on Infant Hearing 2019 for screening and confirmation of hearing loss. Among identified areas for improvement are the availability of trained personnel, insufficient means to ensure compliance, reluctance to pursue further testing and practices among healthcare providers.
otoacoustic emission ; diagnostics ; quality indicators

Glottic hemangioma is a benign vascular tumor that is rarely seen in the adult population. We report a rare Filipino case of glottic hemangioma in a 65-year-old female presenting with 2 weeks history of hoarseness and a smooth, pedunculated, bluish mass at the anterior one-third of the right vocal cord in flexible laryngoscopy. Direct suspension laryngoscopy showed a pedunculated mass that was paler-looking, similar to the color of the surrounding mucosa, exhibiting the Phonation sign of Menzel. The patient underwent microlaryngeal excision and histopathology showed findings consistent with cavernous hemangioma.
Vocal Cords ; Hemangioma ; Adult

Introduction: Tracheostomy is a surgical procedure that creates a neck opening directly into the trachea, typically performed to establish an alternative airway for individuals who experience difficulty breathing as a result of certain medical conditions. Tracheostomy can be temporary or permanent, and it plays a crucial role in the management of both acute and chronic respiratory issues and can significantly improve the quality of life for those who require it. Objective: This study aims to investigate the incidence, common indications and outcomes of tracheostomy in the Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (ORL-HNS) department of a tertiary hospital in Manila, Philippines. Methodology: This is a retrospective descriptive study including all admissions and in-patient referrals to the clinical division of the Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery who underwent tracheostomy from January 2016 to December 2020. Data were retrieved by review of medical records and Outcome Based Evaluation (OBE) form of all patients who underwent tracheostomy during the study period. Results: Our study involved 74 patients with a male-to-female ratio of 22:15. The patients' ages ranged from 5 to 89 years. Prolonged intubation was the main reason for tracheostomy, followed by upper airway obstruction due to supraglottic mass for males and vocal cord paralysis for females. Only three patients who had tracheostomy experienced complications and were managed accordingly. Conclusion Tracheostomy is one of the most valuable and reliable surgical procedures for managing airway obstructions. Proper patient and caregiver education as well as constant follow-up are crucial to prevent complications.
Tracheostomy