Is secondary haemorrhage after tonsillectomy in adults an infective condition? Objective measures of infection in a prospective cohort

Abstract

Our results suggest that clinical signs of infection are lacking in patients with secondary tonsillectomy bleeding. Correspondingly the routine use of antibiotics should be questioned for secondary tonsillectomy haemorrhage.

Overnight in-hospital observation following tonsillectomy: retrospective study of post-operative intervention

“…6 Most post-tonsillectomy haemorrhage occurs at days 5-7 post-tonsillectomy, when patients have already been discharged. [7][8][9][10] Identifying patients at highest risk for serious complications during the first 24 hours postoperatively would allow them to be excluded from day-case surgery.…”

Antibiotic following tonsillectomy: are we justified?

“…Secondary hemorrhage occurs after 24 hours but often between 5 and 10 days. 3 This has been attributed to infection or sloughing of the primary eschar as the tonsil bed heals by secondary intention. Rates of secondary hemorrhage range from 0.1% to 3%.…”

Is there any role of post operative antibiotics in reducing secondary haemorrhage after tonsillectomy

“…Tonsillectomy is one of the most frequently performed surgical procedures in the field of otolaryngology, representing approximately 20-40% of the total procedures 1,2 . Approximately 2,50,000 tonsillectomies with or without adenoidectomy are performed in the United States each year 3 .…”

“…The main complications of tonsillectomy are pain, infection and haemorrhage 1 . Haemorrhage is defined as reactionary, occurring within 24 hours of operation, secondary, occurring after 24 hours and during the phase of healing of the tonsillar bed, commonly 5-10 days after operation 1,5 .…”