Bacteriological study of oropharyngeal flora before and after tonsillectomy

ABSTRACT

In this work the effect of removing the chronically infected tonsils on the pharyngeal flora was studied. Also, a comparison of the bacterial flora of the pharynx in tonsillectomized subjects with that in the healthy non-tonsillectomized ones was performed. All bacteriological work was done according to standard techniques. It is clearly evident from the findings of this study that the presence of chronically infected tonsils, swarmed with streptococcus pyogenes can disturb the normal pharyngeal flora. Tonsillectomy had a profound effect in reducing the pathogenic bacterial flora while the non- pathogenic bacterial flora rapidly reconstituted itself after the operation. Tonsillectomy may be an effective mean for the elimination of bacterial pathogens from the pharynx and so controlling recurrent upper respiratory tract infections