ABSTRACT
Objective: To determine the best method of identifying core tonsillar flora
Study Design: Quasi-experimental study
Place and Duration of Study: ENT Department, Combined Military Hospital, Lahore, from September 2013 to October 2015
Methodology: Eighty-seven patients of recurrent tonsillitis undergoing tonsillectomy were included. All the patients, after being anaesthetised, had surface swabs taken from the tonsillar surface followed by tonsillar aspiration with a 5cc syringe. Following tonsillectomy, the tonsils were sent for culture of core flora. All three specimens from each patient were cultured according to established criteria
Results: The patient population had 33 [37%] female and 54 [62%] male patients. Flora of 12 [13.8%] surface swabs and 68 [78.2%] tonsillar aspirates matched the flora cultured from core of the tonsils. Chi-square test showed this difference to be significant [p-value <0.001]
Conclusion: Tonsillar aspiration gave a much more realistic picture of the tonsillar core flora as compared to surface swabs