Tonsillectomy: scientific evidence, clinical practice and uncertainties
Larizgoitia I
Record ID 31999009907
Catalan, English, Spanish
Authors' objectives:
The aim of this study is to present data for assessing the frequency of the practice of tonsillectomy in Catalonia from activity data collected by the Catalan Health Service. It also compiles the scientific evidence on the efficacy of this intervention, and includes the recommendations established by different clinical groups on this practice.
Authors' recommendations:
One of the most significant conclusions of this study is probably the scarce evidence found to be supportive of the practice of tonsillectomy. However, the fact that an important percentage of interventions respond to a disease with doubtful surgical indication (tonsillar hypertrophy) encourages the study of this issue.
The majority opinion of the specialists, however, is in favour of the practice of tonsillectomy in certain clinical circumstances, although the scarce number of objective data does not allow to define precisely the right moment to perform it.
Another aspect associated to the practice of tonsillectomy is the appropriate treatment for the baseline disease, recurrent pharyngitis, particularly streptococcal tonsillitis. It should be emphasised that both medical professionals and patients adopt these therapeutical schedules of proven efficacy (penicillin or amoxicillin at the right doses), to avoid recurrences due to inefficient therapeutical schedules.
Authors' methods:
Systematic review
Details
Project Status:
Completed
Year Published:
1999
English language abstract:
An English language summary is available
Publication Type:
Not Assigned
Country:
Spain
MeSH Terms
- Tonsillectomy
- Tonsillitis
Contact
Organisation Name:
Agencia de Qualitat i Avaluacio Sanitries de Catalunya
Contact Address:
Antoni Parada, CAHTA, Roc Boronat, 81-95 (2nd floor), 08005 Barcelona, Spain, Tel. +34 935 513 928, Fax: +34 935 517 510
Contact Name:
direccio@aatrm.catsalut.net / aparada@aatrm.catsalut.net
Contact Email:
direccio@aatrm.catsalut.net / aparada@aatrm.catsalut.net
Copyright:
Catalan Agency for Health Technology Assessment and Research
This is a bibliographic record of a published health technology assessment from a member of INAHTA or other HTA producer. No evaluation of the quality of this assessment has been made for the HTA database.