Secondary post-tonsillectomy haemorrhage: is there evidence of diurnal and monthly variation in haemorrhage rates
Affiliation
Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust; University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation TrustPublication date
2022-09-26
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Background: Anecdotally, secondary post-tonsillectomy haemorrhage tends to occur out-of-hours. This study sought to establish whether there is a link between haemorrhage and time of day, and examined correlations with month and with monthly temperature. Methods: Data were obtained for patients in our hospital undergoing surgical arrest of secondary post-tonsillectomy haemorrhage between January 2002 and December 2020. Haemorrhage timing was categorised into daytime (07:00-18:00), evening (18:00-22:00) and overnight (22:00-07:00). The chi-square test was used to assess diurnal and monthly variation in haemorrhage rates (p < 0.05). Pearson's correlation test was used to analyse monthly haemorrhage rates and average monthly temperature. Results: Fifty per cent of patients suffered post-tonsillectomy haemorrhage overnight and 28.1 per cent haemorrhaged in the evening, representing a significant difference (p = 0.018). The highest rate of haemorrhage was in July (2.96 per cent), which was statistically significant (p = 0.0024). There was a positive correlation between average monthly temperature and haemorrhage rate (Pearson's correlation = 0.478, p = 0.116004), although this was not significant. Conclusion: Most post-tonsillectomy haemorrhages occur out-of-hours (78.1 per cent), which could be conveyed during the consent process. The haemorrhage rate is lower in winter, which may influence planned operating theatre scheduling.Citation
Lancer HR, Beech T, Weller M. Secondary post-tonsillectomy haemorrhage: is there evidence of diurnal and monthly variation in haemorrhage rates? J Laryngol Otol. 2023 Sep;137(9):1017-1021. doi: 10.1017/S0022215122002109. Epub 2022 Sep 26. PMID: 36155633.Type
ArticlePMID
36155633Publisher
Cambridge University Pressae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.1017/S0022215122002109