Does Hydrogen Peroxide Mouthwash Improve the Outcome of Secondary Post-Tonsillectomy Bleed? A 10-year Review:

Objective To determine whether hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) mouthwash influences the outcome of secondary post-tonsillectomy hemorrhage in children. Study design Ten-year retrospective study of all children with secondary post-tonsillectomy hemorrhage. Setting Tertiary otolaryngology center. Results Of the 156 patients, 59 received H 2 O 2 and 97 did not. All patients received broad-spectrum intravenous antibiotics. The average rehospitalization duration due to hemorrhage was 1.7 days (H 2 O 2 group) and 1.6 days (control group). In the H 2 O 2 group, 8.5% required surgery, compared with 10.3% in the control group. Further hemorrhage episodes requiring readmission occurred in 3.4% of the H 2 O 2 group and 3.1% of controls. There was no difference between the 2 groups in rehospitalization duration ( P = 0.49), rate of surgical intervention ( P = 0.85), and rate of readmission with further hemorrhage ( P = 0.92). Conclusion Hydrogen peroxide mouthwash does not improve the outcome of secondary post-tonsillectomy hemorrhage in pediatric patients. Significance This study does not support the common practice of treating post-tonsillectomy hemorrhage with H 2 O 2 .