Tonsillectomy Bleed Rates across the CHEER Practice Research Network: Pursuing Guideline Adherence and Quality Improvement

Objectives(1) Compare postoperative bleeding in the CHEER network (Creating Healthcare Excellence through Education and Research) among age groups, diagnoses, and practice types. (2) Report the incidence of bleeding by individual CHEER practice site based on practice guidelines.Study DesignRetrospective data collection database review of the CHEER network based on ICD-9 and CPT codes related to tonsillectomy patients.SettingMultisite practice–based network.Subjects and MethodsA total of 8347 subjects underwent tonsillectomy as determined by procedure code within the retrospective data collection database, and 107 had postoperative hemorrhage. These subjects had demographic information and related diagnoses based on the CPT and ICD-9 codes collected. Postoperative ICD-9 and CPT codes were used to identify patients who also had postoperative bleed. Variables included age (<12 vs ≥12 years), diagnoses (infectious vs noninfectious), and practice type (community vs academic). Statistical analysis included mult...