Abstract
Objective: To describe changes in disease-specific and global quality of life (QOL) for children with recurrent or chronic tonsillitis at 6 months and 1 year after tonsillectomy using two validated instruments, the Tonsil and Adenoid Health Status Instrument (TAHSI) and the Child Health Questionaire-PF28 (CHQ-PF28). Study Design and Setting: A multicenter, prospective observational outcomes study. Results: Ninety-two children, mean age (SD) 10.6 (3.4) years, enrolled with follow-up available for 58 children at 6 months and 38 children at 1 year. The children showed significant improvements in all subscales of the TAHSI including airway and breathing, infection, health care utilization, cost of care, eating and swallowing (all P < 0.001), and behavior (P = 0.01). Significant improvements were also found on several subscales of the CHQ-PF28, such as general health perceptions, physical functioning, parental impact, and family activities (all P < 0.001). Conclusion/Significance: This uncontrolled study provides prospective evidence of improved disease-specific and global QOL in children after tonsillectomy.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | S9-S16 |
| Journal | Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery |
| Volume | 138 |
| Issue number | 1 SUPPL. |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jan 2008 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:The study was named TO TREAT (Tonsillitis Outcomes: Toward Reaching Evidence in Adults and Tots) by the AAOHNS Foundation. It is a multicenter, prospective observational study designed and supervised by a steering committee. The study was coordinated by the Duke Clinical Research Institute (DCRI) under contract with The Academy Foundation. Study coordination included data entry and maintenance, patient follow-up and data collection, and statistical analysis. Sites were enrolled voluntarily through an announcement on the academy’s website. If the participating site was an academic center, institutional review board approval was obtained from their own institution. Institutional review board approval for community physicians was obtained from Duke University through an unaffiliated investigator agreement. Informed consent was obtained from the child’s parent or caretaker.
Funding Information:
Supported by the National Center for the Promotion of Research in Otolaryngology at the American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery Foundation, which was partially funded by a generous unrestricted grant from the Schering-Plough Corporation.