{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,3]],"date-time":"2025-08-03T22:51:24Z","timestamp":1754261484438,"version":"3.37.3"},"reference-count":35,"publisher":"Springer Science and Business Media LLC","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,5,9]],"date-time":"2022-05-09T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1652054400000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,5,9]],"date-time":"2022-05-09T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1652054400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"}],"funder":[{"name":"n\/a"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["link.springer.com"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["BMC Health Serv Res"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2022,12]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title><jats:sec>\n                <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                <jats:p>Flexible nasendoscopy (FNE) is an invaluable multi-disciplinary tool for upper aerodigestive tract (UADT) examination. During the COVID-19 pandemic concerns were raised that FNE had the potential of generating aerosols resulting in human cross-contamination when performed on SARS-COV2 carriers. In the UK, and other European countries, national guidelines were issued restricting FNE to essential cases. We surveyed ENT-UK members and Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT) members to determine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic (first peak) on FNE practice in the UK.<\/jats:p>\n              <\/jats:sec><jats:sec>\n                <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                <jats:p>An observational internet-based survey constructed in accordance to the CHERRIES checklist and setup in SurveyMonkey of FNE practice amongst UK-based ENT surgeons and speech and language therapists in community clinics, the outpatient department, inpatient wards, ICU, emergency department and operating theatres (through the NHS and private sector) prior to, during and following the first COVID-19 wave in the UK.<\/jats:p>\n              <\/jats:sec><jats:sec>\n                <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                <jats:p>314 responses collected (24% response rate), 82% from ENT clinicians, 17% from SLTs and 1% from other allied healthcare professionals. Overall, there has been a large reduction in the volume and indications for FNE during the first peak of the COVID-19 pandemic with limited recovery by mid-August 2020. Cancer and airway assessments were impacted less. A wide range of FNE protocols influenced by local factors are reported, varying in endoscope preference, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and sterilization methods. Where dedicated Aerosol Generating Procedure (AGP) rooms were unavailable, clinicians resorted to window opening and variable room \u201cdown-time\u201d between patients. Endoscope preference reflected availability and user familiarity, ENT trainees favoring the use of single-use video endoscopes.<\/jats:p>\n              <\/jats:sec><jats:sec>\n                <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                <jats:p>Despite national guidance, local practice of FNE remains interrupted and highly variable in the UK. A collaborative inter-disciplinary approach is required to re-introduce FNE safely in volume across healthcare settings, re-establishing timely endoscopic diagnosis and pre-pandemic levels of patient care.<\/jats:p>\n              <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1186\/s12913-021-07416-x","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,5,9]],"date-time":"2022-05-09T16:03:16Z","timestamp":1652112196000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/springer_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["COVID-VU \u2013 ENT-UK national survey of flexible nasendoscopy in the upper aerodigestive tract amidst the COVID-19 pandemic"],"prefix":"10.1186","volume":"22","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0761-5625","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Avgi","family":"Loizidou","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Taranjit Singh","family":"Tatla","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Ian","family":"Harvey","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Miriayi","family":"Aibibula","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Justin","family":"Roe","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Neeraj","family":"Sethi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Anne G. 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Guidance for using patient data [Internet]. Health Research Authority. 2021 [cited 2021 Jun 9]. Available from:","order":2,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Ethics approval and consent to participate"}},{"value":"Not Applicable.","order":3,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Consent for publication"}},{"value":"Dr. Avgi Loizidou BSc (Hon) MBChB: no competing interests.Mr. Taranjit Singh Tatla, PhD, FRCS (ORL-HNS): NIHR Local Collaborative Research Network Clinical Research Lead for ENT, 2013-2020 NIHR national specialty group champion for ENT Industry Research (tasked to engage and support commercial parties in Pharma and MedTech). Member of Ambu UK ENT KOL Advisory Board\u00a0and Honorary Secretary ENT-UK.Ian Harvey PhD: no competing interests.Miriayi Aibibula PhD: Clinical Marketing Team Lead, Ambu Limited, UK.Dr. Justin Roe PhD, FRCSLT: no competing interests.Mr. Neeraj Sethi, PhD, FRCS (ORL-HNS): NIHR Local Collaborative Research Network Clinical Research Lead for ENT, Member of Ambu UK ENT KOL Advisory Board.Professor Anne GM Schilder MD, PhD: Director of the National Institute for Health Research University College London Biomedical Research Centre Hearing Theme and National Specialty Lead of the National Institute for Health Research Clinical Research Network ENT, I advise companies in the hearing domain on their clinical development programmes. Member of the Ambu UK ENT KOL Advisory Board.","order":4,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Competing interests"}}],"article-number":"625"}}