Case

A 7-year-old was referred to an ear-nose-throat (ENT) specialist after having recurrent episodes of tonsillitis every year since the age of 3. The parents are concerned as this is the fifth bout of palatine tonsillitis the child has had in the last year and are asking what they should do.  

Question 1/3 - What should the ENT specialist recommend?

Click on your selected option(s) below  (correct = 1, over-thinking = 2+)

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Incorrect. With this frequency the statistics show the frequency of tonsillitis will remain elevated long term. 

Incorrect. While antibiotics may be used during an individual infection event, they should not be used as a prophylactic due to potential side effects or emergence of resistant microorganisms through over-use.

Correct! The frequency of infections of the tonsils have exceeded the current pediatrics recommended threshold for removal of the tonsils (7 infections in 1 year, 5 over 2 years, or 3 over 3 years).

Incorrect. A salt water gargle has some efficacy as an at-home remedy for reducing symptoms of tonsillitis, the number of bouts in this patient has exceeded what an at-home remedy could alleviate.

Incorrect. The crypts are too small to be resolved in an MRI and there are no methods to restructure the crypts to reduce infection rate even if they could be visualized.