Prognosis for deep neck infections of dental origin: a univariate/multivariate analysis

Objectives: Dental infections can cause deep neck infections. There are still no widely-accepted prognostic factors for the rational diagnosis and treatment of deep neck infections (DNIs) of dental origin. The nature of the risk factors for DNIs of dental origin and their contributions to the outcome were analysed using univariate and multivariate approaches. Methods: 115 consecutive cases of DNI of dental origin, treated at the Department of Neurosciences of Padova University, between 2000 and 2014, were considered. Results: Higher than normal leukocyte counts on admission correlated strongly with longer hospital stays (more than seven days) at univariate analysis (Fisher’s exact test, p=0.005), and were also independently associated with longer hospital stays at multivariate analysis (p = 0.007, OR = 3.99). Conclusions: Further investigations are needed to confirm the clinical utility of leukocyte count normalization for safely deciding the optimal hospital stay for patients with odontogenic DNIs, even in the case of incomplete resolution of neck CT signs of infection.