A National Analysis of Inpatient Pediatric Adenoidectomy

Objective: Hospital admission following pediatric adenoidectomy without tonsillectomy is not well characterized. The objective of our study is to better characterize risk factors for post-operative complications in younger children undergoing inpatient adenoidectomy. Methods: A cross-sectional analysis using data derived from the Kid’s Inpatient Database (KID) was performed. Study participants included children <3 years of age who underwent an adenoidectomy and were admitted to hospitals participating in the KID for years 1997, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2009, and 2012. Descriptive statistical analysis and a multivariate logistic regression analysis were performed to identify risk factors for post-operative complication. Results: A total of 3406 children (mean age 1.1 ± 0.7 years) were included. The overall post-operative bleeding and respiratory complication rates were 0.6% and 5.4%, respectively. Children less than 18 months of age demonstrated increased rates of post-operative respiratory complications ( P = .009), but not bleeding complications ( P = .857). Presence of cardiopulmonary congenital malformations (OR 1.54, 95% CI 1.07-2.20), chronic respiratory disease of the newborn (OR 5.03, 95% CI 2.86-8.85), and neuromuscular disorders (OR 1.97, 95% CI 1.09-3.57) were associated with post-operative respiratory distress. Conclusions: This analysis of a national dataset suggests that otherwise healthy children less than 18 months of age and children 18 months to 3 years of age with certain comorbidities may benefit from overnight observation following adenoidectomy.