Is bacterial colonisation of the tonsillar fossa a factor in post-tonsillectomy haemorrhage?
Stephens JC; Georgalas C; Kyi M; Ghufoor K Department of ENT, Charing Cross Hospital, London, UK. jstephens@doctors.org.uk OBJECTIVES: To identify if there is a link between bacterial colonisation of the tonsillar fossa and post-tonsillectomy haemorrhage. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: Prospective non-interventional study of 105 patients who underwent tonsillectomy during a seven-month period. The study took place in a secondary care centre, the West Middlesex University Hospital. PARTICIPANTS: The participants were 105 patients who consecutively underwent tonsillectomy. The exclusion criteria were any patients with suspected or known malignancy, or known bleeding dyscrasias. The participants underwent microbiological sampling of the tonsil pre-operatively. MAIN OUTCOMES MEASURES: The outcome measures were primary or secondary bleeding, defined as any evidence of haemorrhage in the tonsillar fossae. RESULTS: Twenty-four per cent of patients undergoing tonsillectomy had positive cultures fro
