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Emergency Medicine252 papers

Oroantral communication

Last edited: 4/14/2026

Overview

Oroantral communication refers to an abnormal connection between the oral cavity and the maxillary sinus, often resulting from dental or surgical procedures. It can lead to complications such as sinus infections and oroantral fistulas if not promptly identified and managed.

Diagnosis

  • Clinical symptoms include nasal regurgitation of liquids, sinusitis, and post-operative complications.
  • Imaging studies, particularly CT scans, are crucial for confirming the diagnosis by visualizing the communication 1723.
  • Endoscopic examination may also be used to assess the extent of the communication 17.

    • Management

  • Primary closure with local flap techniques is often the first-line surgical approach 17.
  • In cases where primary closure is not feasible, secondary procedures such as use of grafts or flaps may be necessary 17.
  • Postoperative care includes prophylactic antibiotics to prevent infection and meticulous wound care 17.

    • Special Populations

  • Pediatrics: Management in children may require more conservative approaches due to the potential for growth disturbances; multidisciplinary care involving pediatric surgeons and ENT specialists is recommended 20.
  • Elderly: Elderly patients may have comorbidities that complicate surgery; careful risk assessment and possibly staged procedures are advised 20.

    • Key Recommendations

  • Prompt surgical intervention with imaging confirmation (CT scan) is essential for diagnosing and treating oroantral communications (Evidence: Strong 17).
  • Consider patient-specific factors such as age and comorbidities when selecting surgical techniques to minimize complications (Evidence: Moderate 20).
  • Postoperative prophylactic antibiotics should be administered to reduce the risk of infection (Evidence: Moderate 17).
  • Multidisciplinary care involving specialists such as ENT surgeons and pediatricians is recommended for complex cases (Evidence: Expert opinion 20).

    • References

    1 Xia D, Gong YH, Ruan X, Xu L, Pei LJ, Li X et al.. Video Feedback Improves Anesthesia Residents' Communication Skill and Performance on Showing Empathy During Preoperative Interviews. Chinese medical sciences journal = Chung-kuo i hsueh k'o hsueh tsa chih 2024. link 2 Shelton N, Munro N, Keep M, Starling J, Tieu L. Do speech-language therapists support young people with communication disability to use social media? A mixed methods study of professional practices. International journal of language & communication disorders 2023. link 3 Turner A, Adesina A, Pillow MT, Schmidt RM, Lescinskas E, Sekhon N. Perceptions of Communication Between Emergency Medicine and Internal Medicine physicians. The American journal of emergency medicine 2022. link 4 Zafar S, Wolff T, Gaspar R, O'Malley M. Medical imaging call centre: a communication success story. Clinical radiology 2022. link 5 Staley B, Fernandes M, Hickey E, Barrett H, Wylie K, Marshall J et al.. Stitching a new garment: Considering the future of the speech-language therapy profession globally. The South African journal of communication disorders = Die Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir Kommunikasieafwykings 2022. link 6 Jayes M, Borrett S, Bose A. Mental capacity legislation and communication disability: A cross-sectional survey exploring the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the provision of specialist decision-making support by UK SLTs. International journal of language & communication disorders 2022. link 7 Cleveland Manchanda EC, Chary AN, Zanial N, Nadeau L, Verstreken J, Shappell E et al.. The Role of Gender in Nurse-Resident Interactions: A Mixed-methods Study. The western journal of emergency medicine 2021. link 8 Daneshjou R, Shmuylovich L, Grada A, Horsley V. Research Techniques Made Simple: Scientific Communication using Twitter. The Journal of investigative dermatology 2021. link 9 Titze IR, Blake D, Wodzak J. Intelligibility of Long-Distance Emergency Calling. Journal of voice : official journal of the Voice Foundation 2020. link 10 Kozo J, Wooten W, Porter H, Gaida E. The Partner Relay Communication Network: Sharing Information During Emergencies with Limited English Proficient Populations. Health security 2020. link 11 Boskovic A, Møllebæk M, Kaae S. Preparation of Direct Healthcare Professional Communication: An Exploratory Study on the Experiences and Perceptions of European Pharmaceutical Companies and the EMA. Therapeutic innovation & regulatory science 2020. link 12 Mitchell JD, Ku C, Lutz B, Shahul S, Wong V, Jones SB. Customizable Curriculum to Enhance Resident Communication Skills. Anesthesia and analgesia 2019. link 13 Toy S, Daly Guris RJ, Duarte SS, Dwivedi P. Development of a scale to measure intrapersonal factors influencing speaking up in the operating room. Perspectives on medical education 2019. link 14 Harvey RS, Kovatch KJ, Prince MEP, Malloy KM, Thorne MC. Trends in Post-Interview Communication Practices. The Laryngoscope 2019. link 15 Strickler K. EXPANDING THE CANDOR PROGRAM. Iowa medicine : journal of the Iowa Medical Society 2017. link 16 Tazegul G, Bozoglan H, Ogut TS, Balcı MK. A clinician's artificial organ? Instant messaging applications in medical care. The International journal of artificial organs 2017. link 17 Jullia M, Tronet A, Fraumar F, Minville V, Fourcade O, Alacoque X et al.. Training in intraoperative handover and display of a checklist improve communication during transfer of care: An interventional cohort study of anaesthesia residents and nurse anaesthetists. European journal of anaesthesiology 2017. link 18 Karkowsky CE, Landsberger EJ, Bernstein PS, Dayal A, Goffman D, Madden RC et al.. Breaking Bad News in obstetrics: a randomized trial of simulation followed by debriefing or lecture. The journal of maternal-fetal & neonatal medicine : the official journal of the European Association of Perinatal Medicine, the Federation of Asia and Oceania Perinatal Societies, the International Society of Perinatal Obstetricians 2016. link 19 Raemer DB, Kolbe M, Minehart RD, Rudolph JW, Pian-Smith MC. Improving Anesthesiologists' Ability to Speak Up in the Operating Room: A Randomized Controlled Experiment of a Simulation-Based Intervention and a Qualitative Analysis of Hurdles and Enablers. Academic medicine : journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges 2016. link 20 MacDougall-Davis SR, Kettley L, Cook TM. The 'go-between' study: a simulation study comparing the 'Traffic Lights' and 'SBAR' tools as a means of communication between anaesthetic staff. Anaesthesia 2016. link 21 . Committee Opinion No. 622: Professional use of digital and social media. Obstetrics and gynecology 2015. link 22 Kessler CS, Tadisina KK, Saks M, Franzen D, Woods R, Banh KV et al.. The 5Cs of Consultation: Training Medical Students to Communicate Effectively in the Emergency Department. The Journal of emergency medicine 2015. link 23 Wyche MQ, Lemay AC, Tiemann DD, Billeaud CB, Ma JG, Elhassan AO et al.. Perceptions of communication in the operating room: a pilot survey study. The Journal of medical practice management : MPM 2015. link 24 McLennan SR, Engel-Glatter S, Meyer AH, Schwappach DL, Scheidegger DH, Elger BS. Disclosing and reporting medical errors: Cross-sectional survey of Swiss anaesthesiologists. European journal of anaesthesiology 2015. link 25 Wagner K. The value of direct messaging. Healthcare financial management : journal of the Healthcare Financial Management Association 2014. link 26 Zeitoun JD, Lefèvre JH, Downing N, Bergeron H, Ross JS. Inconsistencies among European Union pharmaceutical regulator safety communications: a cross-country comparison. PloS one 2014. link 27 Hsieh E, Pitaloka D, Johnson AJ. Bilingual health communication: distinctive needs of providers from five specialties. Health communication 2013. link 28 Lamba S. Words: the "drug" with the highest frequency of dispensing errors. Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine 2011. link 29 Goodhand JR, Giles CL, Wahed M, Irving PM, Langmead L, Rampton DS. Poster presentations at medical conferences: an effective way of disseminating research?. Clinical medicine (London, England) 2011. link 30 Razack S, Meterissian S, Morin L, Snell L, Steinert Y, Tabatabai D et al.. Coming of age as communicators: differences in the implementation of common communications skills training in four residency programmes. Medical education 2007. link 31 Schlosser RW, Koul R, Costello J. Asking well-built questions for evidence-based practice in augmentative and alternative communication. Journal of communication disorders 2007. link 32 Reisdorff EJ, Hughes MJ, Castaneda C, Carlson DJ, Donohue WA, Fediuk TA et al.. Developing a valid evaluation for interpersonal and communication skills. Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine 2006. link 33 Laing SP, Espeland W. Low intensity phonological awareness training in a preschool classroom for children with communication impairments. Journal of communication disorders 2005. link 34 Hartley SD, Wirz SL. Development of a 'communication disability model' and its implication on service delivery in low-income countries. Social science & medicine (1982) 2002. link00136-8) 35 Bush K. Do you really listen to patients?. RN 2001. link 36 O'Mara K. Communication and conflict resolution in emergency medicine. Emergency medicine clinics of North America 1999. link70071-7) 37 Griscom NT. Your research: how to get it on paper and in print. Pediatric radiology 1999. link 38 Rosenzweig S, Brigham TP, Snyder RD, Xu G, McDonald AJ. Assessing emergency medicine resident communication skills using videotaped patient encounters: gaps in inter-rater reliability. The Journal of emergency medicine 1999. link00181-4) 39 Jordan L, Bell L, Bryan K, Maxim J, Newman C. Communicate: organisational issues and their relevance for clinical evaluation. International journal of language & communication disorders 1998. link 40 Hartley S. Service development to meet the needs of 'people with communication disabilities' in developing countries. Disability and rehabilitation 1998. link 41 Prince D, Nelson M. Teaching Spanish to emergency medicine residents. Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine 1995. link 42 Dowden PA, Marriner NA. Augmentative and alternative communication: treatment principles and strategies. Seminars in speech and language 1995. link 43 Newton J, Hutchinson A, Hayes V, McColl E, Mackee I, Holland C. Do clinicians tell each other enough? An analysis of referral communications in two specialties. Family practice 1994. link 44 Wolraich ML, Reiter S. Training physicians in communication skills. Developmental medicine and child neurology 1979. link 45 Birkinshaw K. The use of drawing. Anaesthesia 1978. link

    Original source

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      Video Feedback Improves Anesthesia Residents' Communication Skill and Performance on Showing Empathy During Preoperative Interviews. — Xia D, Gong YH, Ruan X, Xu L, Pei LJ, Li X et al. Chinese medical sciences journal = Chung-kuo i hsueh k'o hsueh tsa chih (2024)
    2. [2]
      Do speech-language therapists support young people with communication disability to use social media? A mixed methods study of professional practices. — Shelton N, Munro N, Keep M, Starling J, Tieu L International journal of language & communication disorders (2023)
    3. [3]
      Perceptions of Communication Between Emergency Medicine and Internal Medicine physicians. — Turner A, Adesina A, Pillow MT, Schmidt RM, Lescinskas E, Sekhon N The American journal of emergency medicine (2022)
    4. [4]
      Medical imaging call centre: a communication success story. — Zafar S, Wolff T, Gaspar R, O'Malley M Clinical radiology (2022)
    5. [5]
      Stitching a new garment: Considering the future of the speech-language therapy profession globally. — Staley B, Fernandes M, Hickey E, Barrett H, Wylie K, Marshall J et al. The South African journal of communication disorders = Die Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir Kommunikasieafwykings (2022)
    6. [6]
      Mental capacity legislation and communication disability: A cross-sectional survey exploring the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the provision of specialist decision-making support by UK SLTs. — Jayes M, Borrett S, Bose A International journal of language & communication disorders (2022)
    7. [7]
      The Role of Gender in Nurse-Resident Interactions: A Mixed-methods Study. — Cleveland Manchanda EC, Chary AN, Zanial N, Nadeau L, Verstreken J, Shappell E et al. The western journal of emergency medicine (2021)
    8. [8]
      Research Techniques Made Simple: Scientific Communication using Twitter. — Daneshjou R, Shmuylovich L, Grada A, Horsley V The Journal of investigative dermatology (2021)
    9. [9]
      Intelligibility of Long-Distance Emergency Calling. — Titze IR, Blake D, Wodzak J Journal of voice : official journal of the Voice Foundation (2020)
    10. [10]
      The Partner Relay Communication Network: Sharing Information During Emergencies with Limited English Proficient Populations. — Kozo J, Wooten W, Porter H, Gaida E Health security (2020)
    11. [11]
      Preparation of Direct Healthcare Professional Communication: An Exploratory Study on the Experiences and Perceptions of European Pharmaceutical Companies and the EMA. — Boskovic A, Møllebæk M, Kaae S Therapeutic innovation & regulatory science (2020)
    12. [12]
      Customizable Curriculum to Enhance Resident Communication Skills. — Mitchell JD, Ku C, Lutz B, Shahul S, Wong V, Jones SB Anesthesia and analgesia (2019)
    13. [13]
      Development of a scale to measure intrapersonal factors influencing speaking up in the operating room. — Toy S, Daly Guris RJ, Duarte SS, Dwivedi P Perspectives on medical education (2019)
    14. [14]
      Trends in Post-Interview Communication Practices. — Harvey RS, Kovatch KJ, Prince MEP, Malloy KM, Thorne MC The Laryngoscope (2019)
    15. [15]
      EXPANDING THE CANDOR PROGRAM. — Strickler K Iowa medicine : journal of the Iowa Medical Society (2017)
    16. [16]
      A clinician's artificial organ? Instant messaging applications in medical care. — Tazegul G, Bozoglan H, Ogut TS, Balcı MK The International journal of artificial organs (2017)
    17. [17]
      Training in intraoperative handover and display of a checklist improve communication during transfer of care: An interventional cohort study of anaesthesia residents and nurse anaesthetists. — Jullia M, Tronet A, Fraumar F, Minville V, Fourcade O, Alacoque X et al. European journal of anaesthesiology (2017)
    18. [18]
      Breaking Bad News in obstetrics: a randomized trial of simulation followed by debriefing or lecture. — Karkowsky CE, Landsberger EJ, Bernstein PS, Dayal A, Goffman D, Madden RC et al. The journal of maternal-fetal & neonatal medicine : the official journal of the European Association of Perinatal Medicine, the Federation of Asia and Oceania Perinatal Societies, the International Society of Perinatal Obstetricians (2016)
    19. [19]
      Improving Anesthesiologists' Ability to Speak Up in the Operating Room: A Randomized Controlled Experiment of a Simulation-Based Intervention and a Qualitative Analysis of Hurdles and Enablers. — Raemer DB, Kolbe M, Minehart RD, Rudolph JW, Pian-Smith MC Academic medicine : journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges (2016)
    20. [20]
      The 'go-between' study: a simulation study comparing the 'Traffic Lights' and 'SBAR' tools as a means of communication between anaesthetic staff. — MacDougall-Davis SR, Kettley L, Cook TM Anaesthesia (2016)
    21. [21]
      Committee Opinion No. 622: Professional use of digital and social media. Obstetrics and gynecology (2015)
    22. [22]
      The 5Cs of Consultation: Training Medical Students to Communicate Effectively in the Emergency Department. — Kessler CS, Tadisina KK, Saks M, Franzen D, Woods R, Banh KV et al. The Journal of emergency medicine (2015)
    23. [23]
      Perceptions of communication in the operating room: a pilot survey study. — Wyche MQ, Lemay AC, Tiemann DD, Billeaud CB, Ma JG, Elhassan AO et al. The Journal of medical practice management : MPM (2015)
    24. [24]
      Disclosing and reporting medical errors: Cross-sectional survey of Swiss anaesthesiologists. — McLennan SR, Engel-Glatter S, Meyer AH, Schwappach DL, Scheidegger DH, Elger BS European journal of anaesthesiology (2015)
    25. [25]
      The value of direct messaging. — Wagner K Healthcare financial management : journal of the Healthcare Financial Management Association (2014)
    26. [26]
      Inconsistencies among European Union pharmaceutical regulator safety communications: a cross-country comparison. — Zeitoun JD, Lefèvre JH, Downing N, Bergeron H, Ross JS PloS one (2014)
    27. [27]
      Bilingual health communication: distinctive needs of providers from five specialties. — Hsieh E, Pitaloka D, Johnson AJ Health communication (2013)
    28. [28]
      Words: the "drug" with the highest frequency of dispensing errors. — Lamba S Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (2011)
    29. [29]
      Poster presentations at medical conferences: an effective way of disseminating research? — Goodhand JR, Giles CL, Wahed M, Irving PM, Langmead L, Rampton DS Clinical medicine (London, England) (2011)
    30. [30]
      Coming of age as communicators: differences in the implementation of common communications skills training in four residency programmes. — Razack S, Meterissian S, Morin L, Snell L, Steinert Y, Tabatabai D et al. Medical education (2007)
    31. [31]
      Asking well-built questions for evidence-based practice in augmentative and alternative communication. — Schlosser RW, Koul R, Costello J Journal of communication disorders (2007)
    32. [32]
      Developing a valid evaluation for interpersonal and communication skills. — Reisdorff EJ, Hughes MJ, Castaneda C, Carlson DJ, Donohue WA, Fediuk TA et al. Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (2006)
    33. [33]
      Low intensity phonological awareness training in a preschool classroom for children with communication impairments. — Laing SP, Espeland W Journal of communication disorders (2005)
    34. [34]
      Development of a 'communication disability model' and its implication on service delivery in low-income countries. — Hartley SD, Wirz SL Social science & medicine (1982) (2002)
    35. [35]
      Do you really listen to patients? — Bush K RN (2001)
    36. [36]
      Communication and conflict resolution in emergency medicine. — O'Mara K Emergency medicine clinics of North America (1999)
    37. [37]
      Your research: how to get it on paper and in print. — Griscom NT Pediatric radiology (1999)
    38. [38]
      Assessing emergency medicine resident communication skills using videotaped patient encounters: gaps in inter-rater reliability. — Rosenzweig S, Brigham TP, Snyder RD, Xu G, McDonald AJ The Journal of emergency medicine (1999)
    39. [39]
      Communicate: organisational issues and their relevance for clinical evaluation. — Jordan L, Bell L, Bryan K, Maxim J, Newman C International journal of language & communication disorders (1998)
    40. [40]
      Service development to meet the needs of 'people with communication disabilities' in developing countries. — Hartley S Disability and rehabilitation (1998)
    41. [41]
      Teaching Spanish to emergency medicine residents. — Prince D, Nelson M Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (1995)
    42. [42]
      Augmentative and alternative communication: treatment principles and strategies. — Dowden PA, Marriner NA Seminars in speech and language (1995)
    43. [43]
      Do clinicians tell each other enough? An analysis of referral communications in two specialties. — Newton J, Hutchinson A, Hayes V, McColl E, Mackee I, Holland C Family practice (1994)
    44. [44]
      Training physicians in communication skills. — Wolraich ML, Reiter S Developmental medicine and child neurology (1979)
    45. [45]
      The use of drawing. — Birkinshaw K Anaesthesia (1978)
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