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QUESTION: In children moderately affected with recurrent throat infection, what is the effectiveness of tonsillectomy or adenotonsillectomy?
Design
Randomised {allocation concealed*}†, unblinded,* controlled trial with 3 years of follow up.
Setting
Children’s hospital in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
Patients
328 children between 3 and 15 years of age (60% girls) who were moderately affected with recurrent episodes of throat infection (tonsillitis, pharyngitis, or tonsillopharyngitis: {depending on age, 4–6 episodes in previous 1 y; or 6–8 in previous 2 y}†). Children were excluded if they required immediate removal of large tonsils or adenoids because of obstructive symptoms. Follow up was 83% at year 1.
Intervention
Children were stratified into those without obstructing adenoids, or recurrent or persistent otitis media (n=177; 3 way trial) and those having ≥1 of the above conditions (n=151; 2 way trial). Children in the 3 way trial were …
Footnotes
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Source of funding: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.
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For correspondence: Dr J L Paradise, Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA. jpar{at}pitt.edu
↵† Information provided by author.