C-Reactive Protein and High Blood Pressure are the Predictive Factors of Deciding the Surgical Treatment in Deep Neck Infection: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Abstract

Background and Objectives In clinical settings, some deep neck infections may be managed by conservative treatment but some still require surgical treatment. In this study, we use univariate and multivariate analysis to discuss whether or not there are significant differences between conservative treatment and surgical treatment on patients with deep neck infections. Subjects and Method We conducted a retrospective analysis using medical records of 88 patients with deep neck infections from January 2010 to December 2015. Among 88 patients, 56 patients were managed by conservative treatment with antibiotics and 32 patients were managed by surgical treatment via transcervical approach with antibiotics. As for data analysis, Mann-Whitney U test and multiple logistic regression analysis was used. Results Age, duration from symptom onset to hospitalization, hospital days, incidence of underlying disease, white blood cell count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and C-reactive protein (CRP) were found higher in the surgical treatment group than in the conservative treatment group. But there was no statistical significance except for the incidence of high blood pressure and CRP. Conclusion CRP and incidence of high blood pressure were significant predictive factors for choosing the surgical treatment in deep neck infection. Contrary to our expectations, the incidence of diabetes mellitus was not a significant factor that determined the treatment options for the patients with deep neck infection. Key words: Infection ㆍ Neck ㆍ Regression analysis