Objective In this retrospective case series, we chronicle six patients presenting with acute suppurative thyroiditis (AST) with progression to thyroid abscess in a single institution. Methods Patients ranged in age from 16 to 74 years of age. The most common presenting symptoms were progressive unilateral neck pain, swelling, and odynophagia. Other symptoms included hoarseness and systemic signs of infection. Diagnosis of thyroid abscess was made with a CT scan of the neck, fine needle aspiration, and/or incision and drainage (I&D). Results Management included antibiotic therapy, I&D, and thyroidectomy. All patients were successfully treated except for one who developed mediastinitis and died. Conclusion A complete literature review was performed to determine etiologies, common findings, and management of similar cases.

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Objective: Patient-provider communication is a major barrier to care, with some providers giving their personal phone number (PPN) to patients for increased accessibility. We investigated participant utilization of provider’s PPN, its effect on participant satisfaction, provider’s ability to predict abuse of this practice, and evolving provider perceptions. Study Design: Prospective, randomized study. Setting: Single institution, tertiary referral center. Methods: During a 2-week period, otolaryngology patients were randomized to either receive their provider’s PPN or not. Providers predicted the likelihood of abuse. All calls/texts were documented for 4 weeks. At the study’s conclusion, participants were surveyed using Press Ganey metrics. Providers were surveyed before and after to assess their likelihood of providing patients with their PPN and its impact on work demands. Results: Of the 507 participants enrolled, 266 were randomized to the phone number group (+PN). Of 44 calls/texts from 24 participants, 8 were considered inappropriate. Ten participants were predicted to abuse the PPN, but only one was accurately identified. Participants in the +PN group had a greater mean composite satisfaction score than the control group (4.8 vs 4.3; Welch’s t-test, P < .0011). At the conclusion of the study, providers were more likely to share their PPN (Wilcoxon signed-rank test, P < .0313), and their perceived impact of this practice on workload was lower (Wilcoxon signed-rank test, P < .0469). Conclusion: This study demonstrates low patient utilization of provider PPNs, and poor provider predictive ability of patient abuse. Receipt of provider’s PPN was associated with improved patient satisfaction.