Increasing frequency and severity of odontogenic infection requiring hospital admission and surgical management

Publication date: Available online 25 January 2020Source: British Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial SurgeryAuthor(s): B. Fu, K. McGowan, J.H. Sun, M. BatstoneAbstractOdontogenic infections can become life-threatening if not managed in a timely manner, and they increase the physical cost of treatment to the patient and the financial cost to the public health system. We investigated the number of admissions to a Queensland tertiary hospital within a decade, and differences in the patients’ characteristics, severity at presentation, and clinical outcomes. We compared patients with odontogenic infections who were taken to theatre at the Royal Brisbane & Women’s Hospital (RBWH) between January 2003 and December 2004 with those treated between January 2013 and December 2014, a total of 292. Data on demographics, presentation, previous history, antimicrobial treatment, and admissions, were collated and analysed. There were no significant differences in demographics. In the 2013/2014 group there was a two-fold increase in infections related to lower third molars (p = 0.001), a 50% increase in trismus (p = 0.001), and a 20% increase in submandibular swelling (p = 0.010). The percentage of patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) was three and a half times higher in the 2013/2014 group (p = 0.001). The presentation of odontogenic infections has increased in the decade from 2003/2004 to 2013/2014. Measures of the severity of disease ...
Source: British Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery - Category: ENT & OMF Source Type: research