Paediatric day-case tonsillectomy: a three-year prospective audit spiral in a district hospital

Background: Paediatric tonsillectomy is a common ENT operation. The use of day-case surgery is increasing, in order to improve efficiency in healthcare. Methods: A prospective audit spiral was carried out from January 2006 to December 2008 for all children undergoing day-case tonsillectomy at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary. Results: There was a haemorrhage rate of 2.6 per cent over three years. The most common complication was nausea and vomiting, seen in 5.3 per cent of patients. Conclusions: For a well selected group of children, day-case tonsillectomy in a district hospital setting is a safe and efficient alternative to an in-patient stay. A dedicated day-case team, good anaesthetic technique, adequate post-operative analgesia and on-site paediatric in-patient facilities are essential.