How to get the most from your child’s tonsil/adenoid appointment

Here are some suggestions for making the most of your child’s tonsil/adenoid appointment.  

Below are some questions to obtain useful information.  Providing these questions in advance may help give you time to think about the answers or obtain the information.  It is ok not to have all of the answers. Just do your best.

Breathing:

Does the patient snore?  Y      N

Have you observed obstructive airway events during the patient’s sleep?     Y      N

(An obstructive event looks like this: Respirations are occurring, sometimes with some upper airway noise, and then a throat blockage occurs.  Breathing noise stops.  The chest or abdomen still move as the body attempts to breathe.  After a period of time, a breath finally occurs, usually larger than the previous breaths as if catching up.)

If so, how long are the longest obstructive events you have noticed? _____ sec

Does the patient wake up easily in the morning?     Y      N

Does the patient breathe with the mouth closed?    Y      N

Infections:

Has the patient had several throat infections in the past year or two?    Y      N

If so, how many have there been in the past year?  ________________

How many have there been in the past two years?____________

Has the patient had a swab for Strep throat?   Y      N

How many swabs have been positive?   ___________

How many swabs have been negative?  ___________

Has the patient been on antibiotics for infection of the throat?  Y      N

How many rounds of antibiotics in the past two years?  _________

What are the names of the antibiotics used?

Has the patient had any severe or prolonged throat infections?   Y      N

If so, how long was the longest infection?    _____________________ weeks

Was an abscess diagnosed?   Y      N

What impact did the infection have on the child?  

Was hospitalization required?                 Y      N

Did the child miss daycare or school?    Y      N

Bring with you any potentially relevant healthcare information.  If you have seen anyone else for this or a related condition, the reports and images from prior work may well not be readily available to Dr. Lansford during your visit, unless they are from Christie Clinic, Bromenn, or OSF. Unless they are coming from Christie Clinic, Bromenn, or the OSF system, please hand-carry to your appointment the following items:

• Any prior operative or clinic notes relevant to this condition.  You can get these from the medical records department of the hospital or clinic where you were seen previously.

Bring a list of your current medications (prescription and non-prescription) and their doses.  If it is easier, you could bring in your current medications, and we can get the names and doses from the bottles.

Bring your medical insurance card and be prepared for your copay.

Also, in case you have to wait, it is a good idea to bring with you something to do, such as your phone, iPad, or a book.  Bring a notepad and paper if you might wish to take notes.  Bring a family member or friend if you wish to have another “set of ears."