title: Management of tonsillitis by the general practitioner.
abstract: Seventy-eight of 107 general practitioners completed a questionnaire to assess the management of recurrent acute tonsillitis by the primary care physician. Penicillin was the antibiotic of choice in acute tonsillitis, used by 74 (95%) respondents. Of these, 45% recommended ampicillin/amoxycillin. In the case of penicillin allergy, 67 (86%) chose erythromycin. For the treatment of tonsillitis unresponsive to initial therapy, a wide variety of agents were quoted; the most common being erythromycin (27 cases, 35%) and co-trimoxazole (16 cases, 20%). There were 17 separate indications for surgical referral given, the most common being recurrent tonsillitis (68 cases, 87%). Two or more reasons for surgical referral were stated by 55 (71%) GPs. These findings are discussed with particular reference to recent reports of penicillinase producing bacteria in association with recurrent acute tonsillitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, St. James's Hospital, Dublin.
authors.forename: C I
authors.initials: CI
authors.lastname: Timon
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Cafferkey
mesh_terms: D004917:Erythromycin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005194:Family Practice; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007494:Ireland / Q000453:epidemiology; D012008:Recurrence; D014069:Tonsillitis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery; D015662:Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D004917:Erythromycin; D015662:Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination