Abstract
Hemorrhage following tonsillectomy is still a major complication despite the development of new hot knives. In this study, a retrospective review of 242 adult patients who underwent tonsillectomy in the Department of Otolaryngology, Ehime Prefectual Central Hospital between January 2000 and March 2007 was conducted. Post-tonsillectomy hemorrhage occurring in 56 patients (23.1%); four of these patients experienced hemorrhage during the first 24 hours postoperatively, and the remaining 52 had delayed bleeding. Nine of 56 patients (3.7%) required a procedure to control their bleeding under general anesthesia. The hemorrhage rate in males was significantly higher than in females. There was no statistically significant difference in hemorrhage rates based on age, body mass index (BMI), duration of surgery and smoking. Patients who received antibiotics postoperatively experienced less secondary hemorrhage than those without antibiotics. In 99 patients who were administered antibiotics, patients who used cephalosporins experienced less secondary hemorrhage than those who received penicillins. These results indicate that antibiotics after tonsillectomy are effective to reduce post-tonsillectomy hemorrhage rates.
