Antibiotics for Post-Tonsillectomy Morbidity: Comparative Analysis of a Single Institutional Experience

We have conducted this study to evaluate the effect of antibiotics, whether oral or intravenous, compared to no antibiotic protocol on post-tonsillectomy morbidity.

A total of 270 patients aged 3 - 12 years were included in the study. Patients were assigned into three groups randomly; each group consisted of 90 patients. In the first group (group A), patients were given intravenous injections of ceftriaxone 50 mg/kg/24 hours in divided doses, the second group (group B) received oral co-amoxiclav (dose according to weight) for 5 days post-operatively, and in the third group, patients were not given antibiotics. Patients were evaluated for the incidence of any bleeding, number of days before resuming normal diet, incidence of nausea and vomiting, incidence of abdominal pain, frequency of analgesic use in the first week, and pain.

Our study groups were comparable in age, gender, and weight. There were no statistically significant differences between our study groups with regard to the incidence of post-tonsillectomy bleeding, time relapsed to resume normal diet, and pain score scale. Incidence of nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain was more in the oral antibiotic group, and it was statistically significant.

We do not recommend the routine use of antibiotics in post-tonsillectomy period in pediatric age group and oral antibiotics prove to have worse outcome with regard to the incidence of nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain, and these recommendations need to be evaluated by multicenter evaluation.