title: Secondary post-tonsillectomy haemorrhage and informed consent.
abstract: This is a prospective incidence study of 250 secondary post-tonsillectomy haemorrhages from a population of 2706 tonsillectomies performed over a seven-year period, which aims to ascertain the incidence and character of post-tonsillectomy secondary haemorrhage. Out of 250 post-tonsillectomy secondary bleeds (9.2 per cent of total; 95 per cent CI = 8.2 per cent - 10.4 per cent), 39 patients had a severe bleed (1.4 per cent; 95 per cent CI = 1.2 per cent - 2.1 per cent). The incidence of secondary tonsillectomy haemorrhage increased with age, peaking at 30-34 years in both men and women (p < 0.001), with no statistically significant difference between the two sexes (p = 0.23). The incidence of serious haemorrhage increases in the older age categories (p = 0.005) but is not influenced by gender (p = 0.50). The majority of secondary tonsillectomy haemorrhages presented between the fourth and seventh day post-operation (69.8 per cent). These results now provide the basis for informed consent for a tonsillectomy in our department.
authors.affiliation: ENT Department, Dorset County Hospital, Dorchester, Dorset, UK. rodalalexander@doctors.org.uk
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Alexander
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kukreja
authors.forename: G R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Ford
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007258:Informed Consent; D008297:Male; D019106:Postoperative Hemorrhage / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D014068:Tonsillectomy / Q000941:ethics*