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	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

The 3 "Clinical Challenges in Otolaryngology" articles in the May 2000 issue of the ARCHIVES^1-3 bring up the old debate of whether to routinely order laboratory tests to screen children for bleeding disorders prior to adenotonsillectomy. The authors emphasize the value of taking a detailed medical history. I agree that history is important, but I am concerned that it may not provide sufficient information.

However, none of the authors discusses this insufficiency. Although we can ask parents about their child's easy bruising or aspirin use, for instance, there is no value at all in asking about heavy menstrual periods or bleeding due to tooth loss when the child is only 4 years old. Most youngsters who undergo tonsillectomy have not previously undergone surgery, and probably have never even had a little paper cut on their finger. Frankly, the children have not lived long enough to experience events that might lead . . . [Full Text of this Article]