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Hemorrhage after adenotonsillectomy in children: tertiary center experiences

Hämorrhagie nach Adenotonsillektomie bei Kindern: Erfahrungen eines Zentrums der Tertiärversorgung

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Summary

Background

Adenotonsillectomy is the most commonly performed surgery in the pediatric population. Hemorrhage after adenotonsillectomy, which can occur at any time postoperatively, is one of the most serious complications.

Objective

To determine the frequency of hemorrhage in children after adenotonsillectomy and to compare postoperative hemorrhage with regard to age and sex.

Methods

A cross-sectional longitudinal study was conducted at the Ear, Nose, and Throat Clinic, University Clinical Center Tuzla, and included all children of both sexes, aged 3 to 15 years, who underwent adenotonsillectomy during a 1.5-year period.

Results

A total of 201 children aged 3–15 years underwent adenotonsillectomy, 113 males and 88 females, which corresponds to a ratio of 1.28: 1. Adenotonsillectomy was performed in 147 (73.1%) patients and adenoidectomy in 54 (27%). In the overall sample, there were 19 (9.5%) subjects with postoperative hemorrhage. Primary hemorrhage occurred in 9 subjects (47%) and secondary hemorrhage in 10 subjects (53%). Significantly more female subjects had postoperative hemorrhage. In the group of subjects with hemorrhage, the mean age (standard deviation) was 8.45 (3.3) years. Tonsillar lodges are common sites of hemorrhage.

Conclusion

The frequency and causes of hemorrhage after adenotonsillectomy in our study are partially comparable to the world data.

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Funding

No funding source was involved in this study and there are no financial or other relationships that could be perceived to influence the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Clinic for Anesthesiology and Reanimatology, University Clinical Centre Tuzla, Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina

    Alma Jahić Čampara

  2. Department of Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, University of Tuzla, Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina

    Alma Jahić Čampara & Selmira Brkić

  3. Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, General Hospital Tešanj, Braće Pobrić 17, 74260, Tešanj, Bosnia and Herzegovina

    Anis Cerovac MD phD candidate

  4. Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of Tuzla, Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina

    Anis Cerovac MD phD candidate

  5. Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Unit, Cantonal Hospital Zenica, Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina

    Mirza Kovačević

Authors
  1. Alma Jahić Čampara
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  2. Selmira Brkić
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  3. Anis Cerovac MD phD candidate
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  4. Mirza Kovačević
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Contributions

Alma Jahić Čampara wrote the main manuscript, critically reviewed the manuscript, participated in the treatment of patients from the study. Selmira Brkić wrote the main manuscript and critically reviewed the manuscript. Anis Cerovac wrote the main manuscript, critically reviewed the manuscript, and is corresponding author. Mirza Kovačević critically reviewed the manuscript, gave some suggestions for improvements of the paper, and wrote some additions. All authors met the criteria of authorship and have rights on intellectual content

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Anis Cerovac MD phD candidate.

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Conflict of interest

A.J. Čampara, S. Brkić, A. Cerovac, and M. Kovačević declare that they have no competing interests.

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The ethics committee of the UCC Tuzla approved the research. We obtained the required ethics committee permission.

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Čampara, A.J., Brkić, S., Cerovac, A. et al. Hemorrhage after adenotonsillectomy in children: tertiary center experiences. Wien Med Wochenschr 172, 317–321 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10354-022-00945-y

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