Table 2.
Clinical and epidemiological characteristics of patients with a history of recurrent pharyngotonsillitis compared with the rest of the study population
| Characteristic | Recurrent pharyngotonsillitis in the past (% in group) | p-Value | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes (n = 39) | No (n = 71) | |||
| Age <40 years | 32 (82.1) | 51 (71.8) | 0.25 | |
| Male | 21 (53.8) | 42 (59.2) | 0.69 | |
| Smokers | 6 (16.7) | 16 (25.4) | 0.45 | |
| Dental status 3–4 | 15 (40.5) | 20 (32.3) | 0.52 | |
| Left side PTA | 26 (66.7) | 41 (59.4) | 0.54 | |
| Previous PTA episodes | 8 (20.5) | 1 (1.4) | 0.001* | |
| Seasonal presentation: | Winter | 11 (28.2) | 14 (19.7) | 0.61 |
| Spring | 10 (25.6) | 16 (22.5) | ||
| Summer | 11 (28.2) | 22 (31.0) | ||
| Autumn | 7 (18.0) | 19 (26.8) | ||
| Median (range) hospital stay | 5.0 (1−12) | 4.0 (1−17) | 0.03* | |
| Median (range) CRP value (mg/L) | 95.6 (3.5−300.0) | 73.0 (6.1−338.0) | 0.52 | |
| Median (range) WBC value (×103/μl) | 14.6 (9.0−61.3) | 14.7 (4.4−35.2) | 0.77 | |
| Antibiotic therapy prior to admission | 27 (69.2) | 25 (35.2) | 0.0005* | |
| Comorbidities | 12 (30.8) | 18 (25.4) | 0.66 | |
PTA peritonsillar abscess, CRP C-reactive protein, WBC white blood cells
*Statistically significant