Post-tonsillectomy haemorrhage and analgesics. A comparative study of acetylsalicylic acid and paracetamol.
In a prospective randomized clinical study the incidence of post-tonsillectomy haemorrhage was studied in 832 patients receiving either acetylsalicylic acid or paracetamol as postoperative analgesic (423 and 409 patients, respectively). Of 27 patients experiencing 1 or more bleeding episodes postoperatively, 18 received acetylsalicylic acid and 9 paracetamol. No difference was found regarding the incidence of bleeding within the first 24 h but, later on, a significantly lower incidence of secondary bleeding occurred in the paracetamol group (0.5%) compared with the acetylsalicylic acid group (3.1%). We conclude that acetylsalicylic acid is not the optimum postoperative analgesic following tonsillectomy and that other alternatives must be sought.
Stage
J
J
Department of Otolaryngology, Glostrup University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Jensen
J H
JH
Bonding
P
P
D000082:Acetaminophen / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001241:Aspirin / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D006488:Hemostasis, Surgical; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011897:Random Allocation; D014068:Tonsillectomy / Q000009:adverse effects*
D000082:Acetaminophen; D001241:Aspirin