Deep neck infection in Warinchamrab Hospital Ubonratchathani Province

Abstract

Background : Deep neck infection is an emergency condition. An accurate diagnosis will ensure that
patients receive appropriate treatment in time. Although at present the incidence and severity of the
disease has decreased, due to higher efficiency of antibiotics, there are still a number of patients having
complications.
Objective : To investigate the characteristics, clinical features, and risks factors associated with length
of stay (LOS) and complications in patients with deep neck infection (DNI) at Warinchamrab Hospital,
Ubonratchathani Province.
Methods : It is a case-series study of deep neck infection patients during October 1st, 2018 to
December 31th, 2022. Inpatient medical records were collected. Risk factors for LOS were analyzed by an
independent sample t-test (p- value < 0.05). Risk factors for complications were analyzed by
multivariable Logistic regression.
Result : All 126 patients were male 57.1%. The most common underlying disease was diabetes mellitus
(31%). Submandibular space was the most frequent space of infection (44.4%). Multiple space infections
were found in 14.3%. The main cause was dental caries (49.2%). There are 2 complications found in
this study: Sepsis was (7.1%) and upper airway obstruction (2.4%). Factors related to LOS were diabetes
(p = 0.02), multiple space infections (p = 0.03) and complications (p = 0.008). The multivariable logistic
regression analysis indicated that significant risk factors associated with the complications were multiple
space infection (ORadj = 9.24, 95%CI: 0.02-0.41, p = 0.02) and patients older than 60 years (ORadj = 5.3,
95%CI: 0.03-0.75, p = 0.02)
Conclusion : The most common cause of DNI in Warinchamrab Hospital is dental caries. Promoting
dental health will reduce the incidence. Accurate and prompt diagnosis and treatment, especially
for patients with risk factors may reduce life-threatening complications.