Selected bacterial recovery in Trinidadian children with chronic tonsillar disease.

ABSTRACT

Pharyngotonsillitis in children is widely treated with antibiotics. AIM: To examine tonsil surface and core microflora following elective adenotonsillectomy in children. METHODS: Tonsils of 102 Trinidadian children were prospectively examined for surface and core bacteriological culture and identification between 2005-2006. RESULTS: Tonsils (360) yielded 800 isolates of Streptococcus spp. (51.3 per cent), Staphylococcus spp. (42.3 per cent) and Gram-negative genera (6.4 per cent). Surface and core recovery of staphylococci and streptococci were similar (p>0.05). More (p<0.001) surfaces (82.2 per cent) than cores (63.3 per cent) grew Streptococcus spp.; a-haemolytic Streptococcus prevalence was higher (p<0.001) than B-haemolytic Streptococcus on surfaces (74.4 per cent vs. 18.6 per cent) than cores (58.9 per cent vs. 13.7 per cent). Surfaces and cores were not concordant for streptococci (p<0.0004) and   haemolytic Streptococcus (p<0.007). Surface and core B-haemolytic Streptococcus yield was higher (p<0.05) in 6-16 than 1-5 year olds (31 per cent and 23.8 per cent vs 12.5 per cent and 8 per cent). S. pyogenes surface and core prevalence was (84.6 per cent vs 70 per cent) and (50.0 per cent vs 25.0 per cent) in older and younger children respectively. Klebsiella spp. (6.6 per cent, 2.2 per cent), Proteus (4.4 per cent, 4.4 per cent) and Pseudomonas (4.4 per cent, 1.1 per cent) grew on surfaces and cores respectively.