• Sandra Ploner, Elisabeth Gruber, and Franco Mantovan.
• Kinderkrankenschwester. 2014 May 1;33(5):169-74.

AbstractTonsillectomy and adenotomy are the most common pediatric surgical procedures, with approximately five millions performed each year worldwide (O'Mathúna, Wiffen & Conlon, 2010). However, this procedure is accompanied by significant postoperative morbidity, which may include postoperative pain, postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), poor oral intake with consequent dehydration and postoperative bleeding (Hanasono et al., 2004). If pain is not treated effectively, it can cause avoidance behaviors related to further healthcare. Inadequate pain management has been found to increase morbidity and mortality rates in postoperative patients of all ages (O'Mathúna, Wiffen & Conlon, 2010). In addition, there is an increase in the incidence of PONV: 40% in children with pain compared to 16% in children without pain. PONV also disturbs significantly the wellbeing and patient satisfaction, it can lead to a substantial prolongation of time in the recovery room with increased costs of personal care. In pediatric patients PONV is the most common cause of the approximately 1% to 2% of unplanned hospitalizations following outpatient surgery (Rüsch et al., 2010). The incidence of bleeding after tonsillectomy is approximately 0.5-10%, with deaths occurring in 1 in 20,000 patients (Kim et al., 2011). In recent years, several scientists have explored the effect ofcorticosteroids in the reduction of morbidity after tonsillectomy. In this publication, the question is addressed to what extent perioperatively administered corticosteroids can reduce pain, PONV and postoperative bleeding in the context of tonsillectomy in children and adolescents. For this purpose, a narrative literature analysis of the electronic databases and journals was conducted. There is evidence that corticosteroids can reduce postoperative morbidity. However, no evident and clear recommendation can be drawn from the advices of the various studies.

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