A 4-year retrospective study of tonsillectomy rate and admission rate of tonsillitis and complications in the East of England and nationally.

Abstract

Guidance set out by Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) sought to restrict the frequency of elective tonsillectomy in reaction to the recognised and substantial risks of the procedure, namely pain and bleeding. With stricter criteria in place before a patient can undergo tonsillectomy, patients must endure more episodes of tonsillitis than was previously the case. The cost of managing tonsillitis and its complications as an inpatient is substantial to the NHS and also to the economy as a whole in missed work days. The authors sought to establish if the reduced rate of tonsillectomy performed had any effect on the rate of acute hospital admission for tonsillitis or the associated abscesses-peritonsillar, parapharyngeal and retropharyngeal.