Background and Objectives: In Nepal, person aged 60 years and above is considered elderly. The population of Nepal is approximately 30 million, and people aged 60 years and above makes about one tenth of the total population. This study aims to report the main complaints and prevalence of otorhinolaryngological diseases in patients aged 60 years and above, who visited outpatient otolaryngology department of Manmohan Memorial College and Teaching Hospital, Kathmandu, Nepal during study period. Material and Methods: It is a prospective descriptive cross-sectional study done in Manmohan Memorial College and Teaching Hospital, Kathmandu, Nepal for the duration of a year. All patients aged 60 years and above attending to Ear, Nose and throat (ENT) Outpatient Department were included in the study. The information including demographic data, ENT Complaints and physical examination were noted. Analysis of data was done and report was prepared. Results: Total of six hundred and ninety three patients were enrolled over the period of one year for the study. Number of Male and female patients in the study were almost equal. The otological problems had the highest prevalence constituting 51.7% of the study population. More than Twenty eight (28.3 %) percent had oral and oropharyngeal pathologies. Nasal complaints constituted 10.8% of the study population and 9.2% had pathologies related to neck and others. Conclusion: Hearing loss is the most common diagnosis among all the otological pathologies and epistaxis the most common nasal problem. Head and Neck malignancy is also increasing among the geriatric population.

Background and Objectives: The priority after the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic has been treating cases and counting the number of fatalities. But mental health impact has been neglected, even though evidence show that frontline health care workers are at risk of mental health issues in such situations. This study aimed to determine the status of anxiety among ENT-HNS doctors and the associated factors in Nepal during the second wave of COVID-19 havoc in Nepal. Material and Methods: This is a web-based cross-sectional study carried out from 1st May to 31st May 2021. The study participants: ENT-HNS consultants and residents, were approached for the study through different social media, and data was collected through an app-based self-administered questionnaire. The anxiety level was measured using the GAD-7 scale, and the chi-square test was applied to study the factors associated with anxiety. Results: Among sixty-two participating ENT-HNS doctors, 33.9% already had contracted COVID-19, and 77.4% had mild to severe anxiety. Just below half (45.2%) of the participants worked in COVID-dedicated hospitals and treated patients every working day. None of the respondents could comply with social distance at their workplace, and 75.8% believed they lacked sufficient personal protection equipment (PPE). The potential aerosol-generating procedures like epistaxis management, tracheostomy, and flexible endoscopy were regarded as the highest risk of viral transmission by 35.5%, 30.6%, and 21.0% of respondents, respectively. The young doctors, female doctors, and residents were more likely to be anxious than their counterparts. The ENT-HNS doctors who had lost a family member, close relatives, or colleague were seven times more likely to have anxiety. Conclusion: The ENT-HNS doctors are neither immune to the COVID-19 infection nor the anxiety. They must have access to required PPE as well as psychosocial support to prevent anxiety. Early identification and timely intervention at the institutional level are vital to maintaining a well-staffed workforce during a pandemic like COVID-19.

Background and Objectives: Laryngopharyngeal reflux causes significant impairment to quality of life and also predicts serious laryngeal and esophageal pathology. The aim of this study was to diagnose laryngopharyngeal reflux disease (LPRD) using Reflux Symptom Index (RSI) score among the hospital staffs and to know the risk factors associated with it. Material and Methods: The observational descriptive cross-sectional study was done among hospital staffs selected using simple random sampling method working at Manmohan Memorial Hospital, Swoyambhu, Nepal. A self-structured questionnaire prepared was used to collect the demographic data and risk factors associated. Reflux Symptom Index (RSI) a validated selfadministered questionnaires introduced by Belafsky et al. was used to differentiate laryngopharyngeal reflux subject from non-laryngopharyngeal reflux subject. Analysis of data was done and report was prepared. Results: The prevalence of LPRD in the studied population with the use of RSI score was 48.88% (n=78) among 170 participants. The mean RSI score in patient with LPRD was 16.5±2.83 compared to non-LPRD with significant p-value. All the RSI symptoms score has p-value <0.005 between LPRD and non-LPRD which is of significance. Among 62 subjects representing the age group of 30-39 years, half of the percentage had LPRD according to the RSI score. Smoking was found to be related with LPRD. Conclusions: The RSI can easily be included in otolaryngology routines as objective parameters, with low cost and high practicality. Based on the clinical index, the specialist can evaluate the need for further tests.