Ultrasound-Guided Aspiration of PTA vs Conventional Landmark Technique - a RCT

A Randomized Multicenter Trial of Ultrasound-Guided Aspiration of Peritonsillar Abscess Versus Conventional Landmark Technique

The study is a prospective randomized controlled trial conducted at two different centers at the Department of ORL - Head & Neck Surgery, Odense University Hospital and the Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery & Audiology, Rigshospitalet.

The research question is:

In a group of patients referred to an otolaryngology department with objective findings of peritonsillar abscess, what are the effects of using intraoral ultrasound to diagnose and guide needle aspiration compared to the traditional landmark-based technique, when measured by the number of performed needle aspirations, procedure-related pain and days on sick leave?

The secondary outcomes measured are

• Number of hospitalization days
• Number of Quincy tonsillectomies
• Number of visits to an outpatient clinic
• Patient-reported outcome (measured using an 11-point numeric rating scale)

Inclusion criteria:

• Patients referred to the Department of Otorhinolaryngology suspected for peritonsillar abscess

• Clinical findings of peritonsillar abscess by one of the following:

  1. Trismus
  2. Unilateral tonsillar/peritonsillar swelling

Exclusion criteria:

• Compromised airways or suspected retro / parapharyngeal abscess
• Needle aspiration of pus already performed (or participated in the study once earlier)
• Cannot understand the written information