Bacteremia following pediatric adenoidectomy.
OBJECTIVE
Adenoidectomy is frequently performed in children. The goals of this work were to determine the incidence of bacteremia during the adenoidectomy, to identify the microorganisms implicated, and to analyze the possible association of bacteremia with postoperative complications.


METHODS
One hundred pediatric patients operated of adenoidectomy without preoperative antibiotic prophylaxis were prospectively included in this study. They had no immunosuppressive and/or cardiovascular risk factors, no antimicrobial therapy for at least 15 days prior to operation, and no fever 1 week before surgery. Venous blood samples were obtained 30 s and 20 min after the curettage of adenoidal tissue.


RESULTS
The 33 and 14% of the samples were positive at 30 s and 20 min. The organism more commonly isolated was the streptococcus viridans. Bacteremia was only related to postoperative acute otitis media (p=0.012).


CONCLUSIONS
Bacteremia exists after pediatric adenoidectomy, although it seldom correlates with clinical signs or symptoms. Postoperative acute otitis media is the only complication related to postsurgical bacteremia.
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, La Paz Hospital, Autonomous University, C/Arzobispo Morcillo 12, 28029 Madrid, Spain.
S
S
Sánchez-Carrión
M P
MP
Prim
J I
JI
De Diego
N
N
Sastre
P
P
Peña-García
D000208:Acute Disease; D000233:Adenoidectomy; D000293:Adolescent; D016470:Bacteremia / Q000382:microbiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003680:Deglutition Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008876:Middle Ear Ventilation; D010033:Otitis Media / Q000382:microbiology; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011446:Prospective Studies