Carlton J. Zdanski MD, FAAP, FACS

Carlton J. Zdanski, MD, describes his role as researcher in a variety of settings Through the concerted efforts of many individuals within the Department Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, The Department of Pediatrics, and multiple individuals within the University of North Carolinas Hospitals system, we have been awarded a generous grant from The Duke Endowment for the formation of the North Carolina Children’s Airway Center. The Airway Center specializes in the coordinated delivery of cutting edge, multi-disciplinary, specialized care for children with airway disorders. The Center will also seek to educate patients and their families as well as clinicians regarding airway disorders and to perform research.

The Center’s multi-disciplinary clinics began formally seeing patients in September of 2007. Multiple areas of research are currently being explored and protocols fro efficient and safe evaluation and management of more common airway problems are being developed and fine tuned. In the laboratory with Drs. Jiri Prazma and Allen Marshall, we continue to examine the problem of subglottic stenosis of the airway in the pediatric population and to examine etiologies and diagnostic tools for Meniere’s Disease.

Research into the mechanisms of otitis media, continue in the laboratory with Drs. Ebert, Blanks, Eapen, and Prazma examining the role of immunomodulatory oligonucleotides in the prevention and treatment of OVA-induced Eustachian tube dysfunction. Research is being conducted into imaging in GBJ related sensorineural hearing loss with Michael Stadler, MD. These data will be presented at the upcoming AAO-HNSF Meeting in San Diego, California this Fall. Additional clinical research in the area of the Pediatric Airway has been in collaboration with Dr. Amelia Drake. We investigated the social impact of tracheotomies on school aged children.