Methods
A retrospective chart review of adult patients who presented to a
tertiary-level hospital in Canada from January 1, 2019, to December 31,
2019, was performed. All patients who presented to the Emergency
Department who received a chief complaint category of “neck
swelling/pain”, “sore throat” and “difficulty swallowing” were
included in the initial screening. These patient charts were reviewed to
determine those who were diagnosed with a peritonsillar abscess. Of
those patients diagnosed with a peritonsillar abscess, two groups were
created, those who underwent a CT scan of the neck, and those who did
not.
General patient demographics such as age, gender, triage-assigned chief
complaint, and history of previous peritonsillar abscess for both groups
was collected. In addition, the frequency of patient complaints such as
unilateral or bilateral throat pain, odynophagia, dysphonia, and
constitutional symptoms (ie. fevers, chills), and physical exam findings
for both groups were documented.