The use of perioperative antibiotics in tonsillectomy: Does it decrease morbidity?

Perioperative Antibiotic in Adenoidectomy with Partial Tonsillectomy: A Randomized Trial

“…On the other hand, the injury in partial tonsillectomy is shallower than in tonsillectomy and therefore postoperative pain should be milder [1] . However, the present study in adenotonsillotomy patients gave similar results to those obtained in tonsillectomy patients as far as pain, oral malodor and return to normal physical activities is concerned, as well as 1-day earlier return to normal diet, but those results were not obtained in a single study [10,12] . Clindamycin lowers the bacterial count within the tonsils, which improves healing, reducing pain and the requirement for analgesics, as well as oral malodor, and enables the patient's earlier return to normal activities [13,14] .…”

“…Topical antibiotic therapy was proven to reduce both aerobic and anaerobic oral bacterial counts compared with the placebo group on the first postoperative day, and to reduce postoperative pain on the first postoperative day and oral malodor when compared with the placebo group [13,14] . The use of perioperative oral antibiotics in children and adults undergoing tonsillectomy or adenotonsillectomy was found to be associated with a 1-day earlier return to normal oral intake and less postoperative pain [12] . These differences in results, also regarding outcomes of the present study in comparison to the previous ones, can be explained by the use of different antibiotics, covering varying bacterial spectra, as well as the subjective evaluation of postoperative complaints by the patients.…”

“…The impact of perioperative antibiotics on recovery after tonsil surgery has been investigated in tonsillectomy patients [10][11][12] . Studies performed in adults reported divergent results.…”

The Efficacy of Perioperative Antibiotic Therapy in Tonsillectomy Patients

“…For example, Grandis et al [9] observed that the administration of antibiotic prophylaxis shortened the duration of mouth odor and speeded up the patients' return to a normal diet by only one day. Also, a meta-analysis of 23 studies conducted by Iyer et al revealed that the use of antibiotic prophylaxis only slightly accelerated the return to normal activity [44]. Similar findings were presented by Burkart and Steward, whose meta-analysis and systematic review revealed that oral antibiotic prophylaxis slightly reduces the level of post-tonsillectomy pain, speeding up the return to normal activity and diet by one day [36].…”

Antibiotic following tonsillectomy: are we justified?

“…4 However the Cochrane data base and many other recent studies have concluded contrary to this. 6,8,9 In the present pilot study there was only one incidence of post tonsillectomy hemorrhages in the group where antibiotic was given and there was no bleed in the nonantibiotic group. This difference analyzed by statistical test was not significant.…”