Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-m6dg7 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-06T02:19:18.982Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

National UK survey of antibiotics prescribed for acute tonsillitis and peritonsillar abscess

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 November 2009

V Visvanathan  and
P Nix
V Visvanathan*
Affiliation:
Department of ENT/Head and Neck Surgery, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Leeds General Infirmary, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS1 3EX. UK
P Nix
Affiliation:
Department of ENT/Head and Neck Surgery, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Leeds General Infirmary, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS1 3EX. UK
*
Address for correspondence: Mr V Visvanathan, ENT Registrar, Leeds General Infirmary, Leeds LS1 3EX, UK E-mail: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Aim:

To survey antibiotics prescribed for patients admitted with acute tonsillitis and peritonsillar abscess to UK ENT departments.

Materials and methods:

An anonymous postal questionnaire was sent to UK ENT consultants.

Results:

Intravenous benzylpenicillin alone was preferred significantly more often for acute tonsillitis (n = 175) than for peritonsillar abscess (83) (p < 0.001). A combination of benzylpenicillin and metronidazole was preferred significantly more often for peritonsillar abscess (n = 131) than for tonsillitis (62) (p < 0.001).

Conclusions:

In this survey, penicillin was the commonest antibiotic choice for tonsillitis; this is in accordance with published guidelines. For cases of peritonsillar abscess, benzylpenicillin with metronidazole was the most common antibiotic combination chosen. However, the high resolution rate of peritonsillar abscess following drainage and treatment with penicillin alone suggests that multiple antibiotics are unnecessary and inappropriate in this setting.

Keywords

TonsillitisPeritonsillar AbscessAntibiotics
Type
Main Articles
Information
The Journal of Laryngology & Otology , Volume 124 , Issue 4 , April 2010 , pp. 420 - 423
Copyright
Copyright © JLO (1984) Limited 2009

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1 Del Mar, CB, Glasziou, PP, Spinks, AB. Antibiotics for sore throat (systematic review) Cochrane acute respiratory infections group. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2006;(4): CD 000023Google Scholar
2 Mehanna, HM, Al-Bahnasawi, L, White, A. National audit of the management of peritonsillar abscess. Postgrad Med J 2002;78:545–8Google Scholar
3 Raut, VV, Yung, MW. Peritonsillar abscess: the rationale for interval tonsillectomy. Ear Nose Throat J 2000;79:206–9Google Scholar
4 Jakob-Solder, B, Steininger, C, Eigentler, A, Allerberger, F. Treatment of paediatric patients with acute group A beta-haemolytic streptococcal tonsillopharyngitis. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 1998;17:811–12Google Scholar
5 Casey, JR, Pichichero, ME. Meta-analysis of cephalosporin versus penicillin treatment of group A streptococcal tonsillopharyngitis in children. Pediatrics 2004;113:866–82Google Scholar
6 Brook, I, Frazier, EH, Thompson, DH. Aerobic and anaerobic microbiology of peritonsillar abscess. Laryngoscope 1991;101:289–92Google Scholar
7 Muller, SP. Peritonsillar abscess. A prospective study of pathogens. Treatment and morbidity. Ear Nose Throat J 1978;57:439–44Google ScholarPubMed
8 Snow, DG, Campbell, JB, Morgan, DW. The microbiology of peritonsillar sepsis. J Laryngol Otol 1991;105:553–5CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
9 Herzon, FS, Harris, P. Peritonsillar abscess incidence, current management practices and proposal for treatment guidelines. Laryngoscope 1995;105:1–17Google Scholar
10 Kieff, DA, Bhattacharyya, N, Siegel, NS, Salman, SD. Selection of antibiotics after incision and drainage of peritonsillar abscess. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surgery 1999;120:57–61CrossRefGoogle Scholar