Objective:
To assess the association between adenotonsillectomy and hospital visits for respiratory tract infections (RTIs) in pediatric patients.
Approach:
- Study Design: A retrospective nationwide cohort study using Korean National Health Insurance Service data from 2010 to 2017.
- Participants: Included 6,848 pediatric patients who underwent adenotonsillectomy and 34,240 matched nonsurgical controls.
- Data Analysis: RTI-related hospital visits were assessed during the year prior to surgery and each of the 3 postoperative years, using International Classification of Diseases codes.
Key Findings:
- Patients who underwent adenotonsillectomy had higher odds of acute upper RTI-related visits during postoperative years 1 to 2 and 2 to 3 compared to matched nonsurgical controls.
- Higher odds of acute lower RTI-related visits were observed in all 3 postoperative years among patients who underwent adenotonsillectomy.
- Influenza- or pneumonia-related visits showed no statistically significant difference between the adenotonsillectomy group and controls.
- Age-stratified analyses indicated higher odds of lower RTI-related visits among younger patients in specific postoperative years.
Limitations:
- Diagnoses were based on administrative codes rather than direct clinical assessment.
- Primary indication for adenotonsillectomy was not consistently available.
- Lack of data on symptom severity, laboratory findings, and environmental factors.
- Potential surveillance bias affecting RTI diagnosis and coding.
- Infections not resulting in hospital visits may not have been captured.
- Study could not address outcomes beyond the 3-year observation period.
Sources:
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