Outcomes in adult patients with recurrent pharyngitis, by treatment group
| Outcome | Treatment group,* mean± SD† | p value‡ | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Control n = 40 | Tonsillectomy n = 46 | ||
| Subjective | |||
| Episodes of sore throat, no. | 7.4 ± 5.8 | 1.5 ± 2.4 | < 0.01 |
| Throat pain, d | 40.2 ± 60.5 | 5.1 ± 8.7 | < 0.01 |
| Fever (> 37.5°C), d | 7.8 ± 10.1 | 2.2 ± 5.2 | < 0.01 |
| Rhinitis, d | 26.3 ± 28.4 | 10.2 ± 14.3 | < 0.01 |
| Cough, d | 16.0 ± 17.7 | 7.0 ± 14.8 | < 0.01 |
| Objective | |||
| Medical consultation for pharyngitis, no. | 1.0 ± 1.4§ | 0.1 ± 0.5 | < 0.01 |
| Absence from school or work, d | 6.6 ±11.8 | 3.3 ± 10.0 | 0.02 |
Note: SD = standard deviation.
↵* Mean length of follow-up was 5.7 mo for the control group and 6.2 mo for the tonsillectomy group. Patients in the tonsillectomy group had 17 (± 6) d of throat pain and 14 (± 6) d of absence from school or work during the immediate postoperative period. These data are not included in the analysis.
↵† Calculated as events per year.
↵‡ Mann–Whitney U test.
↵§ Only 1 episode was due to group A streptococci.