New guidelines provide clinicians evidence-based guidance for improved care of tonsillectomy patient
MONDAY, Jan. 17 (HealthDay News) -- New evidence-based guidelines surrounding the pre-, intra-, and postoperative care and management of pediatric patients undergoing tonsillectomy have been published in a supplement to the January issue of Otolaryngology -- Head and Neck Surgery.
Reginald F. Baugh, M.D., from the University of Toledo Medical Center in Ohio, and colleagues set forth the new guidelines to provide clinicians with evidence-based guidance for identifying the most appropriate pediatric candidates for tonsillectomy. They also sought to optimize the perioperative management of these patients and to improve the counseling and patient education of families whose children undergo this procedure.
The panel recommended that clinicians administer a single, intraoperative dose of intravenous dexamethasone to these patients, and that they not routinely administer perioperative antibiotics to these children. They also recommended questioning caregivers about co-morbid conditions that might improve in these patients after a tonsillectomy. The panel also made recommendations regarding criteria for selection of tonsillectomy candidates, as well as advocating for better pain management after tonsillectomy in the pediatric population.
"The tonsillectomy guideline will empower doctors and parents to make the best decisions, resulting in safer surgery and improved quality of life for children who suffer from large or infected tonsils," an author states in a press release accompanying the study.
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