© 2002 The Fellowship of Postgraduate Medicine
AUDIT
National audit of the management of peritonsillar abscess
Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Royal Alexandra Hospital, Paisley
Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
Mr Hesham Mehanna, Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Royal Alexandra Hospital, Paisley PA2 9PN, UK;
HeshamMehanna{at}aol.com
An anonymous postal survey of 200 consultants was used to audit the current prevalent practices in the management of quinsy in the UK; 101 responded. The findings reveal that on average an otolaryngology department treats 29 cases per year, the vast majority (94%) on an inpatient basis. The main initial treatment was needle aspiration combined with intravenous antibiotics. Interestingly, those departments treating more than 20 cases a year are more likely to use needle aspiration, while departments in England and Wales use significantly more incision and drainage than those in Scotland. Incision and drainage (52%) was the most common form of treatment of non-resolving patients. The median hospital stay was two days.
Keywords: peritonsillar abscess; quinsy; management; audit
Abbreviations: BAO–HNS, British Association of Otolaryngologists–Head and Neck Surgeons; HTBS, Health Technology Board for Scotland
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