The study is a prospective randomized controlled trial conducted at two different centers at the Department of ORL - Head \& Neck Surgery, Odense University Hospital and the Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery \& Audiology, Rigshospitalet. The research question is: In a group of patients referred to an otolaryngology department with objective findings of peritonsillar abscess, what are the effects of using intraoral ultrasound to diagnose and guide needle aspiration compared to the traditional landmark-based technique, when measured by the number of performed needle aspirations, procedure-related pain and days on sick leave? The secondary outcomes measured are * Number of hospitalization days * Number of Quincy tonsillectomies * Number of visits to an outpatient clinic * Patient-reported outcome (measured using an 11-point numeric rating scale)
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
DIAGNOSTIC
Masking
DOUBLE
Enrollment
88
The ultrasound transducer (either Hockey Stick or Burr-Hole N11C5s transducer from BK Ultrasound) is placed on the palatoglossal arch on the affected side and sweeped from the cranial to caudal end of the tonsil to look for an abscess cavity identified as a hypoechoic area with ill-defined margins.
A 14G needle aspiration is inserted blindly in the superior tonsil pol where pus aspiration is attempted.
Rigshospitalet
Copenhagen, Copenhagen East, Denmark
RECRUITINGOdense University Hospital
Odense, Odense C, Denmark
RECRUITINGneedle aspirations
total number of needle aspirations performed
Time frame: From date of randomization until the date of full recovery from the treated peritonsilar infection, assessed up to 1 months.
proportion of succesfull needle aspirations
proportion of needle aspirations with aspiration of pus
Time frame: From date of randomization until the date of full recovery from the treated peritonsilar infection, assessed up to 1 months.
days on sick leave
Total number of days on sick leave after first intervention
Time frame: From date of randomization until the date of full recovery from the treated peritonsilar infection, assessed up to 1 months.
Number of hospitalization days
Time frame: From date of randomization until the date of full recovery from the treated peritonsilar infection, assessed up to 1 months.
Number of quincy tonsillectomies
Time frame: From date of randomization until the date of full recovery from the treated peritonsilar infection, assessed up to 1 months.
Number of visits in outpatient clinic
Time frame: Until full recovery from peritonsilar infection
Patient-reported outcome
Patients are asked to choose one number, on a scale from 0 (no pain) to 10 (severe pain), corresponding to the intensity of their pain - meassured using a 11-point numeric rating scale (NRS-11).
Time frame: From date of randomization until the date of full recovery from the treated peritonsilar infection, assessed up to 1 months.
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