Table 1.
Demographic and baseline characteristics of adults with recurrent streptococcal pharyngitis according to allocation to waiting list (control) or immediate tonsillectomy. Figures are numbers (percentages) unless otherwise indicated
| Characteristic | Control (n=34) | Tonsillectomy (n=36) |
|---|---|---|
| Mean (SD) age (years) | 27 (8) | 25 (7) |
| Female | 20 (59) | 26 (72) |
| Tobacco use: | ||
| By patient | 11 (33) | 15 (43) |
| Someone else in the family | 9 (27) | 14 (40) |
| History of allergy | 7 (21) | 9 (25) |
| Risk factors for pharyngitis: | ||
| More than four people in family | 11 (32) | 12 (33) |
| Similar infections in family | 5 (15) | 4 (11) |
| Untreated caries | 4 (12) | 6 (17) |
| Symptoms of gingivitis | 5 (15) | 5 (14) |
| Use of same toothbrush >3 months | 11 (32) | 11 (31) |
| Mean (SD) No of previous episodes of acute pharyngitis*: | ||
| During past 6 months | 3.3 (1.5) | 3.5 (1.3) |
| During past 12 months | 4.8 (2.1) | 5.1 (1.9) |
| Frequent throat pain | 20 (59) | 23 (64) |
| Complications of pharyngitis: | ||
| Joint symptoms | 3 (9) | 3 (8) |
| Rheumatic fever | 0 (0) | 0 (0) |
| Tonsils at baseline according to clinical assessment: | ||
| Merely large | 4 (13) | 3 (11) |
| Chronically infected | 4 (13) | 4 (14) |
| Scarred | 22 (73) | 21 (75) |
| Carrier of group A streptococcus | 2 (6) | 1 (3) |
*Exudative throat infection diagnosed by physician; according to inclusion criteria at least one episode had to be group A streptococcal infection proved by culture or rapid antigen test.