DEEP NECK INFECTION: OUR CLINICAL RESULTS
1Kahramanmaraş Sütçü İmam Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi, KBB, Kahramanmaraş, Türkiye Objective: The objective of this retrospective study is to present the clinical features, patient management and complications of patients with deep neck infections (DNI) hospitalized in our clinic in the light of the literature and to share our experiences.Materals-Methods: This study is a presentation of 70 DNI cases who received inpatient care at the ENT Clinic of university hospital between January 2017 and January 2021.
Results: 45 of the patients were male and 25 were female. The mean age was 29.2 years. 22 patients were in the ≤18 age group. The month and season involving the majority of patient admissions was January and Winter (18.6% and 35.7%, respectively). The most common presenting symptoms were swelling (85%) and pain (50%). The commonest site of infection was the submandibular area. Most common comorbid condition was diabetes mellitus (6/13). 37% of the patients had received treatment before admission. The most frequently encountered etiological factor was dental pathologies. The etiology in 13 patients was undetermined. In the management, the commonly preferred antibiotherapy was ampicillin-sulbactam+metronidazole (50%). The most common complication was respiratory distress (4/8).
Conclusion: Rapid diagnosis and optimal treatment of patients with DNI will prevent both prolonged hospital stays and life-threatening complications. Empirical antibiotherapy should be initiated as soon as the patient is admitted. The most crucial step in the management is to differentiate abscess and cellulitis and to decide on surgical drainage immediately when abscess is detected. If the etiology involves dental infection, treatment of the affected tooth is essential.
Keywords : Deep neck infection, treatment, antibiotherapy, complication