Tonsillectomy guidelines issued

NEW YORK, Jan. 4 (UPI) -- New guidelines provide recommendations for the care and management of children ages 1-18 years considered for a tonsillectomy, U.S. researchers say.

Dr. Richard M. Rosenfeld, one of the many guideline authors and consultants, says a tonsillectomy is one of the most common U.S. surgical procedures with more than 530,000 procedures performed annually in children under age 15.

Despite the frequency of tonsillectomy, until now there have been no evidence-based national guidelines to assist doctors in providing the highest quality care and help children recover safely and rapidly from the removal of tonsils.

Among the guidelines, published in Otolaryngology -- Head and Neck Surgery, include:

-- Most children with frequent throat infections get better on their own; watchful waiting is best for most children with less than seven episodes in the past year, five a year in the past two years, or three a year in the past three years.

-- Severe throat infections are those with fever of 101 or higher, swollen or tender neck glands, coating on the tonsils or a positive test for strep throat.

-- Children with less frequent severe throat infections may still benefit from tonsillectomy if there are modifying factors, including antibiotic allergy/intolerance, a history of peritonsillar abscess, periodic fever, mouth ulcer, inflammation of the throat or inflammation of a lymph node.