Impact of Tonsillectomy Clinical Practice Guidelines

Objective To evaluate the effect of the recently published pediatric tonsillectomy and polysomnography clinical guidelines on current practice patterns. Method An anonymous 15‐question survey was sent to members of the American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery regarding their awareness of the Clinical Practice Guideline: Tonsillectomy in Children and Clinical Practice Guideline: Polysomnography for Sleep‐Disordered Breathing Prior to Tonsillectomy in Children and whether or not they have changed their practice as a result. Results A total of 93% of respondents read the guidelines. Most respondents had completed a pediatric otolaryngology fellowship (84%). A small majority of physicians (54%) continue to prescribe antibiotics within 24 hours after surgery. One‐third of respondents stopped prescribing antibiotics because of the new guidelines. Discord between severity of symptoms and tonsil size was the most common reason cited for ordering a polysomnogram prior to tonsillectomy (76%) in concordance with the guideline’s recommendations. A total of 45% of physicians prescribe NSAIDs for pain control despite its safety profile, and 23% reported that the guidelines influenced their use of NSAIDs postoperatively. Most respondents use intraoperative steroids (90%). Conclusion The guidelines are intended to provide evidence‐ based direction in tonsillectomy practices and improve referral patterns for polysomnography prior to tonsillectomy. A majority of the surveyed otolaryngologists reviewed these guidelines. There is some evidence practice has changed secondary to the guidelines.