Effect of changing postoperative pain management on bleeding rates in tonsillectomy patients.

PURPOSE: To review rates of post-tonsillectomy hemorrhage (PTH) at a quaternary medical center, including the impact of narcotic versus nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) postoperative pain management. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective review was performed of tonsillectomies conducted at a single institution between 1/1/2013 and 1/1/2017. The rates of PTH and subsequent intervention were calculated. These were categorized into patients having surgery pre- and post-July 1, 2015, the former group receiving narcotics and the latter ibuprofen with acetaminophen. RESULTS: Of 1351 total tonsillectomies, 3.04% had PTH requiring return to the hospital. 0.74% required no further surgical intervention, whereas 2.30% required secondary surgical control. The bleed rate prior to July 2015 was 3.15%, with 1.05% non-surgical bleeds and 2.10% requiring surgery. Post-July 2015, the bleed rate was 2.92%, with 0.44% non-surgical bleeds and 2.49% requiring surgery. There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups with respect to overall, non-surgical, and surgical hemorrhage rates (p > 0.05). Of the total bleeds, the need for secondary surgery in the narcotic group was 66.7% and 85% in the NSAID group (p = 0.18). During the study period, 36 patients with PTH had their initial tonsillectomy performed at outside institutions; 53% required surgical intervention. CONCLUSIONS: Secondary hemorrhage remains a significant cause of morbidity in post-tonsillectomy patients, often requiring surgical intervention. This review found no increased bleeding risk associated with use of ibuprofen and acetaminophen as opposed to narcotic pain relief. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III.

Is routine pre-operative cardiac evaluation necessary in obese children undergoing adenotonsillectomy for OSA?

BACKGROUND: Adenotonsillectomy (T&A) is a common surgery performed for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in children. Obese children are at increased risk for OSA, but are also at increased risk for cardiovascular changes that might heighten their risk of undergoing a general anesthetic. There is currently no standard of care recommendation for cardiac workup prior to T&A. PURPOSE: To ascertain whether a preoperative cardiac workup is predictive of postoperative complications in obese children undergoing T&A for OSA. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort review. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 241 children with BMI ≥ 25 kg/m(2) underwent T&A for OSA. This cohort was divided into three groups - those who had no preoperative cardiac evaluation, those who had a preoperative cardiac evaluation but no significant findings and those who had a preoperative cardiac evaluation with at least one significant finding. Postoperative cardiac-related complications were compared between the three groups. RESULTS: There were significantly more postoperative complications in Group 3, the group with findings on preoperative cardiac evaluation. However, these were heavily weighted toward "hospital stay > 24 hours" without clear cardiac sequelae. Notably there were no incidents of pulmonary edema, re-intubation postoperatively or death. CONCLUSION: In obese children undergoing T&A at a tertiary care center, a preoperative cardiac workup was not shown to be beneficial in predicting postoperative complications.

Outcomes variability in non-emergent esophageal foreign body removal: Is daytime removal better?

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to investigate differences between esophageal foreign body removal performed during standard operating room hours and those performed after-hours in asymptomatic patients. METHODS: A retrospective chart review at a tertiary children's hospital identified 264 cases of patients with non-emergent esophageal foreign bodies between 2006 and 2011. Variables pertaining to procedure and recovery times, hospital charges, complications, length of stay, American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA) classification, and presence of mucosal injury were summarized and compared between cases performed during standard operating hours and those performed after-hours. RESULTS: Cases performed during standard hours had significantly longer average wait times compared with after-hours cases (13.1h versus 9.0h, p<0.001). No other clinical characteristics or outcomes were significantly different between groups. Longer wait times are not associated with mucosal injury or postoperative complications. CONCLUSION: There were no significant differences in procedure time, charges, or safety in after-hours removal of non-emergent esophageal foreign bodies compared to removal during standard operating hours. OR wait time was about 4h longer during standard hours compared with after-hours. This study could not assess the factors to determine the impact in differences in hospital resource utilization or work force, which may be significant between these two groups.