Evaluating Perioperative Dexamethasone and the Risk of Bleeding in Tonsillectomy

Inclusion Criteria: * Patients ages 3 to 18 undergoing tonsillectomy or adenotonsillectomy by electrocautery alone for the indication of sleep disordered breathing or infectious tonsillitis. * Patients with complex medical conditions or craniofacial abnormalities will be included. * Informed consent and child assent are required for enrollment. * Eligibility will be determined by the principal investigator, associate investigator or research nurse. Exclusion Criteria: * Subjects with a known personal or family history of any bleeding disorder will be excluded. * Subjects currently on oral corticosteroids for other medical conditions or have recently taken any oral corticosteroid within two weeks of surgery. * Patients with tonsillectomy performed using a cold knife technique, microdebrider, coblation or plasma knife due to surgeon or parent preference. * Where appropriate subjects who do not have informed consent or child assent signed will be excluded * Children less than three years old will be excluded due to the fact the majority of these children at the collaborating centers have an adenotonsillectomy using the microdebrider for pain control purposes.