Adenotonsillectomy and poliomyelitis

THE danger that adenotonsillectomy performed in the presence of an epidemic may instigate an attack of poliomyelitis, usually although not exclusively bulbar, has now been generally recognized for several years, and the avoidance of the operation during epidemics is now almost universally adopted as...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Pediatrics (Evanston) 1949-02, Vol.3 (2), p.255-258
Main Author: FABER, H K
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adenoidectomy
Old Medline
Poliomyelitis
Tonsillectomy
Citations: Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:THE danger that adenotonsillectomy performed in the presence of an epidemic may instigate an attack of poliomyelitis, usually although not exclusively bulbar, has now been generally recognized for several years, and the avoidance of the operation during epidemics is now almost universally adopted as an important preventive measure. It is, therefore, disturbing to find the actual existence of a relationship between operation and disease called in question. The doubt has been raised almost exclusively by otolaryngologists who have, of course, a vital interest in the matter. One of their principal organizations, The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, has for the last two years conducted a questionnaire-survey under the leadership of Daniel S. Cunning of New York City based mainly on the number of cases of poliomyelitis in which tonsillectomy (and other operations) had been performed two months or less before the onset of the disease. The last of these reports based on data for 1947 has recently been published. In it Cunning states his conclusion that "I am more than ever convinced that there is no causal relationship between the two, and that when a bulbar poliomyelitis follows a tonsillectomy it is coincidental."
ISSN:0031-4005
1098-4275
DOI:10.1542/peds.3.2.255