Characteristics and Management Outcome of Patients with Severe Odontogenic Infections

Matthew BOAMAH OWUSU; Paa-Kwesi  BLANKSON; Grace E.  PARKINS; Isabella  AMOYAW

Matthew BOAMAH OWUSU Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Ghana Dental School, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
Paa-Kwesi BLANKSON Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Ghana Dental School, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
Grace E. PARKINS Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Ghana Dental School, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
Isabella AMOYAW Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, University of Ghana Medical School, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana

Keywords: Odontogenic, Ghana, Cellulitis, Infection, length-of-stay

Abstract

Background: Severe odontogenic infections (SOI) continue to persist in varying forms with associated morbidity.
Objective: This study aimed to describe the sociodemographic and laboratory characteristics of patients with SOI following admission, and to determine the factors influencing their length of stay.
Methods: This was a cross-sectional study involving patients with SOI who required hospital admission. Variables for this study included age, sex, employment category, educational level, Health Insurance status, previous dental visit, offending tooth, diagnosis, random blood glucose, laboratory parameters, and length of stay (LOS) as a measure of management outcome.
Results: Forty-six patients were included in this study, consisting of 18 females. The mean age of patients was 43.2 years (SD 18.4). The median LOS for patients over the study period was 7 days (IQR 6,10). Length of stay varied significantly with age category (p = 0.018). Middle-aged adults (36 – 65 years) and older adults (over 65 years) were more likely to remain hospitalised for more than a week compared to patients aged 18 – 35 years (OR = 13.3 and 12.0, respectively). The most consistently abnormal parameters in patients with SOI were elevated white blood cell count, deranged Gamma-glutamyl Transferase (GGT) and albumin tests. Albumin showed the highest correlation with LOS (r = 0.623, p = 0.198), and serum total protein showed a significant difference between participants with LOS of up to one week and patients who stayed longer (p = 0.035).
Conclusion: With the high success rate of our current management regime for SOI, age, serum albumin, and total protein were the most suggestive predictors of the length-of-stay of patients with Severe Odontogenic Infections.