2.5: Data Dive- Tonsillectomy Trends
- Page ID
- 46645
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)Overview:
Tonsils (specifically the palatine tonsils) are a pair of soft tissue masses that vary in size from person to person, located adjacent to the throat (pharynx). Tonsils are part of the lymphatic organ system, which aids in fighting infections alongside the immune system. Like lymph nodes, tonsils can swell in response to infection. In the height of its popularity in the 1930's, tonsillectomies were viewed essential by the medical community because swelling was viewed as a result of disease rather than a physiological response to infection. Between the 1940's and 1970's evidence began accumulating that there was a correlation between tonsillectomies and contracting bulbar poliomyelitis (aka polio). In the 1970's, evidence then started accumulating that tonsillectomies didn’t significantly decrease contracting sore throats and other throat infections as originally thought. As such, tonsillectomy rates have declined as scientific method based research guided the medical community to enforce stricter policies on when the procedure is appropriate. Figure 1.2.5.a below is indicates tonsillectomy rates in Scotland for 20+ years:
Questions:
- What kind of graph is this?
- What is the independent (explanatory) variable and the dependent (response) variable?
- What question(s) are the authors trying to answer with this graph?
- Describe the trend you see for tonsillectomies and tonsillitis from 1993 to 2016.
- In 1998 new policies were put in place restricting when a tonsillectomy could take place. How did this affect the trends after 1998?
- What does the results of this graph make you curious about?
Raw Data For Above Graph(s)
Table \(\PageIndex{a}\) Raw data for Scotland tonsillectomy and tonsillitis trends from 1993 to 2016. Graph created by Rachel Schleiger (CC-BY-NC) modified from data in Douglas CM, Altmyer U, Cottom L, Young D, Redding P, and Clark LJ. 2019.
| Years | Tonsillectomy Count | Tonsillitis Count |
|---|---|---|
| 1993/1994 | 185 | 63 |
| 1994/1995 | 175 | 65 |
| 1995/1996 | 170 | 80 |
| 1996/1997 | 168 | 100 |
| 1997/1998 | 165 | 125 |
| 1998/1999 | 155 | 125 |
| 1999/2000 | 120 | 115 |
| 2000/2001 | 90 | 100 |
| 2001/2002 | 70 | 88 |
| 2002/2003 | 100 | 120 |
| 2003/2004 | 85 | 110 |
| 2004/2005 | 90 | 115 |
| 2005/2006 | 98 | 135 |
| 2006/2007 | 90 | 135 |
| 2007/2008 | 93 | 148 |
| 2008/2009 | 90 | 135 |
| 2009/2010 | 90 | 130 |
| 2010/2011 | 90 | 128 |
| 2011/2012 | 85 | 128 |
| 2012/2013 | 95 | 135 |
| 2013/2014 | 93 | 135 |
| 2014/2015 | 87 | 150 |
| 2015/2016 | 86 | 153 |