Objective: To conduct a head-to-head comparative analysis of cataract surgery patient education material generated by Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer (ChatGPT-4) and Google Bard. Methods and analysis: 98 frequently asked questions on cataract surgery in English were taken in November 2023 from 5 trustworthy online patient information resources. 59 of these were curated (20 augmented for clarity and 39 duplicates excluded) and categorised into 3 domains: condition (n=15), preparation for surgery (n=21) and recovery after surgery (n=23). They were formulated into input prompts with ‘prompt engineering’. Using the Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool-Printable (PEMAT-P) Auto-Scoring Form, four ophthalmologists independently graded ChatGPT-4 and Google Bard responses. The readability of responses was evaluated using a Flesch-Kincaid calculator. Responses were also subjectively examined for any inaccurate or harmful information. Results: Google Bard had a higher mean overall Flesch-Kincaid Level (8.02) compared with ChatGPT-4 (5.75) (p<0.001), also noted across all three domains. ChatGPT-4 had a higher overall PEMAT-P understandability score (85.8%) in comparison to Google Bard (80.9%) (p<0.001), which was also noted in the ‘preparation for cataract surgery’ (85.2% vs 75.7%; p0.10). None of the generated material contained dangerous information. Conclusion: In comparison to Google Bard, ChatGPT-4 fared better overall, scoring higher on the PEMAT-P understandability scale and exhibiting more faithfulness to the prompt engineering instruction. Since input prompts might vary from real-world patient searches, follow-up studies with patient participation are required.

As a consequence of increasing reports of an unusual and novel presentation of a multisystem inflammatory disease in the UK, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health published a case definition on May 1, 2020, of pediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome temporally associated with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) (PIMS-TS).¹ They defined PIMS-TS as persistent fever, inflammation, and evidence of single or multiorgan dysfunction, with exclusion of any other microbial cause and with positive or negative severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) polymerase chain reaction test results. In the US, this condition has been defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children, with a more specific case definition.²

Septic arthritis of the temporomandibular joint (SATMJ) is a rare complication of acute otitis media (AOM) with only four reported cases in the English and Japanese literature. Based on the unusual nature of this clinical condition, we discuss the first documented case due to Achromobacter xylosoxidans and the utility of myringotomy with long-term intravenous antibiotics via a peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC). We describe the case of a 76-year-old male patient that was brought in by ambulance to the accident and emergency (A&E) department due to severe right-sided otalgia with increased hearing impairment. A clinical diagnosis of acute otitis media with sepsis was made and the patient was commenced on the sepsis protocol. He then developed symptoms of septic arthritis of the TMJ which was confirmed on radiological imaging. After a multidisciplinary team discussion, the patient was treated with a myringotomy and intravenous ceftriaxone for 8 weeks in the community via a PICC rather than TMJ arthrocentesis with positive outcomes at 3 months’ follow-up.

Key Clinical Message: Ohnishi in 1975 first described temporomandibular joint (TMJ) arthroscopy. Along with its extensive use, a range of complications has emerged. We describe a patient who experienced parapharyngeal swelling after undergoing arthroscopy. Prolonged intubation up to 1 hour postoperatively was required. The swelling resolved completely over 6 h without further intervention.