Tonsillitis prevalence, diagnosis, and treatment among patients at Al-Baha Region, Saudi Arabia

Background: Tonsillitis is considered one of the most otolaryngological diseases affecting children and adults. Tonsillectomy is one of the common surgical procedures mostly with children and in cases of chronic tonsillitis or recurrent tonsillitis. Aims: The objective of this study was to examine the incidence of tonsillitis, along with its methods of diagnosis and treatment, among patients residing in the Al-Baha region of Saudi Arabia. Settings and Design: A retrospective observational cross-sectional analysis of tonsillitis patients who attended the pediatric, emergency room, adult surgery, and ear, nose, and throat clinics at a hospital in Al-Baha, Saudi Arabia, from January 2019 to January 2023. Subjects and Methods: This research used purposive sampling. Covered examining data acquired and analyzed 348 tonsillitis-related throat swabs and blood samples. Statistical Analysis Used: Data were statistically analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software version 20.0 IBM (Armonk, New York, USA). Results: A total of 348 patients diagnosed with tonsillitis were examined. Males had tonsillitis more than females (n = 208, 60% and n = 140, 40%, respectively). The most frequent bacteria isolated were Streptococcus pyogenes group A beta-hemolytic, Staphylococcus aureus, methicillin-resistant S. aureus, and Klebsiella pneumoniae (n = 68, 19.5%; n = 24, 6.9%; n = 12, 3.4%; and n = 12, 3.4%, respectively). Conclusions: Tonsillitis is an oral and public disease affecting both children and adults in Al-Baha region. The emphasis should be on enhancing the public health system to reduce tonsillitis and its consequences via effective awareness efforts. Hospitals may also be urged to develop unique criteria for tonsillitis swabs in order to reduce contamination and improve diagnosing the etiology of bacterial tonsillitis.