Pediatric Patient and Hospital Characteristics Associated With Treatment of Peritonsillar Abscess and Peritonsillar Cellulitis.

Objective: To identify patient and hospital characteristics associated with the choice of treatment for pediatric patients who present in the acute setting with peritonsillar abscess/cellulitis (PTA/PTC).

Study Design: A retrospective cohort study was performed using Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project emergency department, ambulatory, and inpatient state databases for the years 2010 and 2011. Children aged 0 to 17 years were identified using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) diagnosis code for PTA/PTC.