Tonsillectomy linked to increased respiratory infections in children - Sarmad

A recent study by researchers from Sungkyunkwan University in South Korea, published in the Journal of Rhinology at the end of July this year, found that tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy are associated with an increased likelihood of children being hospitalized due to upper or lower respiratory tract infections.

It is well known that upper respiratory tract infections are among the most common diagnoses in children, with those aged 0 to 6 years experiencing recurrent episodes of common colds, pharyngitis, and tonsillitis throughout the year. Most of these infections typically resolve with conservative pharmacological treatment; however, when tonsillar infections are recurrent and severe, physicians must consider surgical intervention, specifically tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy.

Although tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy are among the most common surgical procedures performed on children worldwide, their clinical efficacy in reducing acute respiratory tract infections remains uncertain. This is because the tonsils and adenoids are essential components of the immune system, playing a role in early pathogen recognition and enhancing immune responses. Consequently, their removal deprives the body of a significant part of its capacity to resist respiratory tract infections.

The researchers utilized data from the National Comprehensive Survey in Korea, randomly selecting participants from the pediatric population during the period from 2010 to 2017. Children who underwent tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy were identified and compared with a control group that did not undergo surgery, in a ratio of approximately 5 to 1, matched by age and sex (34,000 versus 6,848 children, respectively). Participants were divided into three age groups: the first from 0 to 4 years, the second from 5 to 9 years, and the third from 10 to 14 years.