As a client who is just being released after having their tonsils taken out, the first thing that the nurse should instruct them is to make sure to contact an emergency room or alert the physician if there is any presence of bleeding. Sutures and stitches are part of any tonsilonomy. If there is any presence of bleeding, it could mean that there could be a problem. This really is the protocol whenever any kind of medical procedure is done that consists of sutures and the such.
There is also the chance for bleeding to occur during the healing process and if it is very excessive and alarming then the advice of a physician is paramount. The presence of blood though especially not long after a tonsillotomy has been performed means that something is wrong and it needs to be addressed immediately. This is certainly the time that that an emergency physician or the operating physician needs to be contacted so the next step can be decided on.
The nurse should instruct the client to report bleeding immediately. Delayed bleeding may occur when the healing membrane separates from the underlying tissue usually 7 to 10 days postoperatively. Difficulty swallowing and throat pain are expected after a tonsillectomy and typically are present even before the client is discharged. Sudden difficulty talking wouldnt occur after discharge if the client could talk normally at the time of discharge, because swelling doesnt take that long to develop.