RESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: Post-tonsillectomy monitoring has received a significant amount of attention in recent years. Although the literature questions the safety of ambulatory adenotonsillectomy in children less than 5 years of age, age alone did not exclude eligibility for day surgery at our institution. METHOD: A retrospective chart review was performed between 1995 and 1998 for all children who had undergone adenoidectomy or adenotonsillectomy at the London Health Sciences Centre in London, ON. RESULTS: There were 119 adenoidectomies and 278 adenotonsillectomies performed. The average age was 3 years at the time of surgery. One hundred and ninety-six cases were performed for obstruction, and 201 were done for infection. Average time spent in the postanaesthesia care unit was 6 hours for adenotonsillectomy and 4.5 hours for adenoidectomy. There were 26 planned and 60 unplanned admissions. One (4/397) percent of the unplanned admissions were for postoperative hemorrhage; 14% (56/397) were for vomiting and dehydration. No cases were admitted for postoperative desaturations or hypotensive episodes. The readmission rate was 0%. CONCLUSIONS: Ambulatory adenotonsillectomy is a safe procedure in children less than 5 years old. However, a well-informed, reliable caretaker and support from the day surgery staff is essential in early discharge of young patients after adenotonsillectomy.
Asunto(s)
Adenoidectomía , Procedimientos Quirúrgicos Ambulatorios , Tonsilectomía , Preescolar , Vías Clínicas , Humanos , Selección de Paciente , Estudios Retrospectivos , Factores de Riesgo , Factores de TiempoRESUMEN
INTRODUCTION: With 3 tracheostomy techniques currently available, controversy exists regarding which is safest and most economical. Percutaneous (PDT) and the new translaryngeal (TLT) tracheostomies are cited as more cost-effective than the traditional open surgical procedure because they are bedside techniques. Our objective was to compare the perioperative and postoperative complications of the 3 techniques. STUDY DESIGN: This was a prospective trial involving 100 consecutive patients who underwent tracheostomy between April and December of 1997 at the London Health Sciences Centre and St Joseph's Health Centre in London, Canada. RESULTS: Fifty open tracheostomies were performed. Indications included prolonged ventilation (n = 42), airway protection (n = 5), pulmonary hygiene (n = 2), and sleep apnea (n = 1). A tension pneumothorax was the one significant intraoperative complication. Fifteen postoperative complications occurred, most notable of which was a 2-L hemorrhage at 24 hours. Thirty-seven TLTs were performed, 20 in patients with coagulopathy. Indications were prolonged intubation (n = 27), airway protection (n = 9), and pulmonary hygiene (n = 1). One intraoperative complication of accidental decannulation occurred. One postoperative complication, a pretracheal abscess, occurred in a decannulated transplant patient 2 weeks after the procedure. Thirteen PDTs were performed. Indications were prolonged intubation (n = 6), airway protection (n = 6), and tracheal toilet (n = 1). No significant complications occurred. CONCLUSIONS: TLT and PDT have fewer complications than the traditional open technique. TLT appears to have the greatest utility in the coagulopathic patient.
Asunto(s)
Traqueostomía/métodos , Análisis Costo-Beneficio , Femenino , Humanos , Complicaciones Intraoperatorias , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Estudios Prospectivos , Traqueostomía/efectos adversos , Traqueostomía/economíaRESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of fine-needle aspiration (FNA) in the diagnosis of primary lymphoid processes of the salivary gland. DESIGN: A retrospective study. METHOD: Between 1987 and 1994, 35 patients who underwent fine-needle aspiration (FNA) of the salivary gland had a diagnosis of a primary lymphoid process. Most presented with palpable parotid (28 patients) or submandibular (4 patients) gland masses which prompted a clinical diagnosis of pleomorphic adenoma. FNA was performed with immediate on-site evaluation. Flow cytometric cell-surface-marker analysis was performed in 28 of the 35 cases to determine the clonality of the B-cell proliferations. RESULTS: Sixteen cases of reactive hyperplasia and nine cases of malignant lymphoma diagnosed by FNA were confirmed by subsequent histopathologic examination. Lymphoma was confirmed in six of eight cases diagnosed as suspicious for lymphoma by FNA. Hodgkin's disease was suspected but not confirmed in one case and was diagnosed as a probable Warthin's tumour in another case. In all cases, the FNA diagnosis of either a reactive or malignant lymphoid process was unexpected and influenced the patient's further management. For patients diagnosed with an intraparotid lymph node, surgery could be deferred for a short period with the hope that the lymphadenopathy would spontaneously regress. For patients with a preoperative FNA diagnosis of lymphoma, a more limited biopsy could be performed, thereby reducing the operative risk to the patient and plans to process the tissue according to the institution's lymphoma protocol could be made. CONCLUSION: Clinically, reactive intraparotid lymph nodes and lymphomas present as parotid enlargements that are indistinguishable from pleomorphic adenomas. FNA is the only method of accurately establishing a preoperative diagnosis in these patients.