Quality of Life and Health Status in Pediatric Tonsil and Adenoid Disease

Authors:
  • EFEllen M. Friedman
    Ellen M. Friedman
  • MSMarcelle Sulek
    Marcelle Sulek
  • GHGregory F. Hulka
    Gregory F. Hulka
  • RKRonald B. Kuppersmith
    Ronald B. Kuppersmith
  • MBMarilyn H. Bautista
    Marilyn H. Bautista
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Abstract
TONSILLECTOMY and adenoidectomy (adenotonsillectomy) remains one of the most commonly performed pediatric surgical procedures in the United States,1-3 although the frequency of adenotonsillectomy has deceased significantly from peak levels in the 1960s.4,5 Most of the literature on the effectiveness of adenotonsillectomy has focused on changes in objective measures of disease status (such as number of infections) and not on quality of life (QOL) or overall health status. In addition, most studies have examined only one aspect of tonsil and adenoid disease and have enrolled only severely affected children who met stringent entry criteria. Therefore, it is likely that the impact of tonsil and adenoid disease has been underestimated, since patients with mild or moderate disease were excluded from those studies.

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