Do children waiting for tonsillectomy grow out of their tonsillitis?

OBJECTS

to determine whether children may grow out of recurrent acute tonsillitis.

METHODS

the parents of 100 children aged 2-14 on the elective waiting list for tonsillectomy were given a postal or telephone interview in November 1989.

RESULTS

data from the parents of 92 respondents showed the children had been on the waiting list for a mean of seven months. Ninety-two percent still suffered from sore throats and 79% had had at least one course of antibiotics within the last six months. There was no reduction in the frequency of sore throat or the number of courses of antibiotics in children who had waited longer.

CONCLUSIONS

there was no justification for claiming that long waiting lists for tonsillectomy are frequently associated with resolution of recurrent acute tonsillitis.