Post-tonsillectomy patient care in the community

Tonsillectomy is a frequently performed surgical procedure. Problems arising in the early postoperative period will have an important impact on community and hospital resources. We determined the type of problems that occur and the way these problems are managed. We monitored 203 patients undergoing routine tonsillectomy by a postoperative telephone survey and contacted their general practitioners, 164 in all. We found 46% of the patients experienced problems post-discharge which led to early contact with a doctor. Infection was identified in 26% and secondary haemorrhage in 11%. Common symptoms associated with the prescribing of antibiotics were sore throat (74%) and secondary haemorrhage (41%). Each GP saw, on average, 2.4 post-tonsillectomy patients per annum. The diagnosis of post-tonsillectomy infection is difficult. This was reflected in the wide variation of clinical features used to diagnose post-tonsillectomy infection by doctors. The vast majority (95%) of GPs expressed a desire for a framework for treating post-tonsillectomy complications.