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Oropharyngeal packing for resistant post-tonsillectomy bleeding

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Abstract

Background

Tonsillectomy remains a common surgical procedure with a substantial risk for complications, the greatest of which is postoperative hemorrhage.

Objective

The aim of this study was to assess the efficiency of oropharyngeal packing around the orotracheal tube to control resistant, potentially lethal, post-tonsillectomy bleeding.

Patients and methods

Six patients were presented to our institution with massive (potentially fatal) post-tonsillectomy hemorrhage from January 2002 to June 2011. After failure of initial measures to control bleeding, oropharyngeal packing around the orotracheal tube with or without a nasogastric tube was inserted to compress the bleeding areas.

Results

Oropharyngeal packing succeeded in controlling and stopping resistant post-tonsillectomy bleeding in all cases.

Conclusion

Resistant, potentially fatal, post-tonsillectomy bleeding could be controlled by oropharyngeal packing around orotracheal tubes, and this can be tried first before external carotid artery ligature.

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Correspondence to Mohammad W. El-Anwar MD.

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Goda, M.I., El-Anwar, M.W., Elnashar, I. et al. Oropharyngeal packing for resistant post-tonsillectomy bleeding. Egypt J Otolaryngol 30, 347–350 (2014). https://doi.org/10.4103/1012-5574.144973

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.4103/1012-5574.144973

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