In the Gray Zone – Difficult Decisions in Pediatric ENT Care

Saturday, October 17, 2026

2:30 PM - 3:30 PM PT

Location: 511AC

Moderator(s)

Daniel C. Chelius, Jr., MD

Associate Professor
Baylor College of Medicine/Texas Children's Hospital
Houston, Texas, United States

Panelist(s)

Meredith Merz Lind, MD

Professor/ Pediatric Otolaryngologist
Nationwide Children's Hospital/ Ohio State University
Columbus, OH, United States
Jeffrey P. Simons, MD, MMM

Professor of Otolaryngology and Vice Chair of Faculty Affairs
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Pittsburgh, PA, United States
Sarah A. Gitomer, MD

Assistant Professor
University of Colorado School of Medicine
AURORA, Colorado, United States
KA

Kristan P. Alfonso, MD

Associate Professor
Texas Children's Hospital/Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, Texas, United States

Disclosure(s):

Meredith Merz Lind, MD:

faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Jeffrey P. Simons, MD, MMM:

faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

On this panel, 4 experienced pediatric otolaryngologists will lead our community into the gray zone to explore common childhood scenarios seen in every otolaryngology office that do not have clear care paradigms and guidance. After brief case presentations, the panel will rapidly present relevant standards and science before leading the audience through a short debate on pragmatic management for each patient. We will consider asymptomatic and incidental neck masses, mouth breathing with a patent airway, “my kid is sick all the time,” recurrent non-spasmodic croup, “my dentist said…,” chronic halitosis, underwhelming symptomatic response after adenotonsillar surgery, and other common clinical presentations.

Learning Objectives:

Review available guidelines and recommendations for common difficult pediatric otolaryngology clinical presentations.
Develop pragmatic paradigms and confidence for pediatric care when science truly meets art.
Confidently counsel parents regarding pragmatic care options.