Predictors of Dehydration Following Adenotonsillectomy in Jordanian Pediatric Cases

Background: Dehydration is a well-established complication of adenotonsillectomy. This study aims to measure the prevalence of dehydration among pediatric adenotonsillectomy patients in a tertiary hospital in Amman and to identify the risk factors that could be associated with it. Methods: This is an observational single-center study. Data were collected by reviewing the health records of patients who underwent adenotonsillectomy between January 2015 and June 2020 at Ibn Al-Haytham Hospital. Inclusion criteria were any patient between 1 and 12 years old that has undergone routine adenotonsillectomy. Exclusion criteria were any adenotonsillectomy for neoplasm purposes, patients with reported developmental delay, and patients who underwent adenoidectomy or tonsillectomy alone. Collected data included patients' demographics, indication for adenotonsillectomy, type of surgical technique, and history of dehydration in the following two weeks post adenotonsillectomy. The data were then imported into an SPSS statistical spreadsheet and analyzed. Descriptive statistics analysis of the demographic characteristics of the cases was prepared. Numerical data were expressed as percentages or means ± standard deviation (SD). Results: Three hundred and eighty-four patients met the inclusion criteria of this study. 234 patients (62.2%) were male, and the majority of the cases (223 patients) were between 5 and 6 years old, accounting for 58.8% of the population. The prevalence of post-adenotonsillectomy dehydration was 5.7%. Point estimation with a 95% confidence interval falls between 5.17 and 5.63. Dehydration was more prevalent in children aged under three years old. Dependence-type Multivariate analysis revealed that age and gender remained significantly associated with dehydration with P values > 0.001 and 0.004, respectively, after adjusting for the other variables. Conclusion: Dehydration is a serious yet rare complication post adenotonsillectomy. Screening for dehydration pre- and post-discharge is highly recommended. There is a need for further multi-center and population-based studies to examine the full extent of dehydration complications. It is in the best interest of surgeons and all caregivers to provide the best quality of care for adenotonsillectomy cases. Avoiding dehydration and all other surgical complications would be part of the standards of high-quality health care.