Abstract
Tonsillectomy is one of the most common surgeries performed in the pediatric age group, but the decision to prescribe antibiotics post-tonsillectomy still remains controversial. A retrospective study was undertaken to assess the effect of different management policies following tonsillectomy in children in our hospitals. We compared two groups of children; Group A (N=72), on oral antibiotics for 1 week post tonsillectomy, and Group B (N=68), on intravenous cefazolin only 30 minites before incision. The post operative recovery was assessed by the following parameters: fever, analgesic requirement, day of return to a normal diet, pharyngeal bleeding, and other complications. No significant differences were demonstrated between groups A and B for any of these measures. These results suggest that there is no justification for the routine use of postoperative antibiotics.
