(Purpose) Cases of peritonsillar abscess (PTA) treated by immediate tonsillectomy were reviewed to determine whether a clinical pathway is applicable to the treatment of PTA patients.
(Subjects) PTA patients treated in the inpatient department between January 2006 and May 2007.
(Methods) The number of PTA patients treated by immediate tonsillectomy, the number of patients who received immediate tonsillectomy based on the clinical pathway, and the incidence of variances regarding hospitalization period, postoperative fever, postoperative ingestion state, postoperative pain, and postoperative medication, were reviewed. The incidence of variance pertaining to PTA patients was compared with that pertaining to patients who underwent an elective tonsillectomy in this hospital during the same period.
(Results) A total of 57 patients were treated for PTA. An immediate tonsillectomy was performed in 53 of these 57 patients. Thirty-three of these 53 (62%) patients received an immediate tonsillectomy based on the clinical pathway. Although there were several variances, there were no dropouts from the clinical pathway due to complications. There were no significant differences in the incidence of variances regarding postoperative fever, postoperative ingestion state, postoperative pain, and postoperative medication, between the immediate tonsillectomy group and the elective tonsillectomy group.
(Conclusion) The clinical pathway was thus found to be appropriate and applicable patients with PTA treated by immediate tonsillectomy. This indicates that immediate tonsillectomy can therefore be an alternative treatment for patients with peritonsillar abscess.
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