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(Ton)silly seasons? Do atmospheric conditions actually affect post-tonsillectomy secondary haemorrhage rates?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 June 2015

B Cadd ,
M Rogers ,
H Patel  and
G Crossland
B Cadd*
Affiliation:
Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Royal Darwin Hospital, Tiwi, Northern Territory, Australia
M Rogers
Affiliation:
Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Royal Darwin Hospital, Tiwi, Northern Territory, Australia
H Patel
Affiliation:
Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Royal Darwin Hospital, Tiwi, Northern Territory, Australia
G Crossland
Affiliation:
Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Royal Darwin Hospital, Tiwi, Northern Territory, Australia
*
Address for correspondence: Dr Brandon Cadd, Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Royal Darwin Hospital, Registry Box 169, Tiwi 0811, Northern Territory, Australia E-mail: brandoncadd@gmail.com
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Abstract

Background:

Tonsillectomy is a common procedure, with potentially life-threatening complications. Previous investigations into post-tonsillectomy secondary haemorrhage rates suggest an influence of climactic and atmospheric conditions on haemorrhage rate, particularly temperature and water vapour pressure. With a single emergency department and a large variance in atmospheric conditions, Darwin, Australia, is ideal for investigating the effects of local climate on rates of post-operative haemorrhage.

Methods:

A five-year retrospective review was conducted of all tonsillectomy procedures performed between 2008 and 2013. Effects of atmospheric variables were examined using Pearson's correlation coefficient and analysis of variance.

Results:

A total of 941 patients underwent tonsillectomy in the study period. The bleeding rate was 7.7 per cent. No variation was found between wet and dry season tonsillectomies (p = 0.4). Temperature (p = 0.74), water vapour pressure (p = 0.94) and humidity (p = 0.66) had no effect on bleeding.

Conclusion:

The findings revealed no correlation between humidity, season, water vapour pressure and haemorrhage rates. Further research should use multi-site data to investigate the effect of air conditioning, humidification and climactic conditions between different regions in Australia.

Keywords

TonsillectomyHemorrhageVapor PressureAustraliaEmergency ServiceHospitalHumansHumidityHydrostatic PressureOtolaryngologySeasonsTemperature
Type
Main Articles
Information
The Journal of Laryngology & Otology , Volume 129 , Issue 7 , July 2015 , pp. 702 - 705
Copyright
Copyright © JLO (1984) Limited 2015 

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