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Post-tonsillectomy bacteraemia in children

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 June 2007

R. M. Walsh ,
B. N. Kumar ,
A. Tse ,
P. W. Jones  and
P. S. Wilson
R. M. Walsh*
Affiliation:
Department of Communication and Neuroscience, University of Keele, Keele.
B. N. Kumar
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, North Staffordshire Hospital NHS Trust, Stoke on Trent, U.K.
A. Tse
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, North Staffordshire Hospital NHS Trust, Stoke on Trent, U.K.
P. W. Jones
Affiliation:
Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Keele, Keele.
P. S. Wilson
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, North Staffordshire Hospital NHS Trust, Stoke on Trent, U.K.
*
Address for correspondence: Rory M. Walsh, F.R.C.S. (ORL), Department of Communication and Neuroscience, University of Keele, Keele ST5 5BG.
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Abstract

It has been postulated that the bacteraemia rate following guillotine tonsillectomy is lower than that following dissection tonsillectomy due to intra-operative compression of tonsillar blood vessels by the guillotine. The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence of bacteraemia following dissection and guillotine tonsillectomy. Sixty-four patients undergoing elective tonsillectomy for recurrent acute tonsillitis were randomly selected, 32 underwent dissection tonsillectomy and 32 guillotine tonsillectomy. Positive intra-operative blood cultures were obtained in 16 patients (25 %), nine (28.1 %) of the dissection group and seven (21.8 %) of the guillotine group. There was no significant difference between the two methods (Chi-squared test, p = 0.77).

Keywords

TonsillectomyBacteraenna
Type
Main Articles
Information
The Journal of Laryngology & Otology , Volume 111 , Issue 10 , October 1997 , pp. 950 - 952
Copyright
Copyright © JLO (1984) Limited 1997

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