Prevalence and Causes of Maxillofacial Odontogenic Infections in Patients Referred to the Maxillofacial Surgery Department of Kamyab Hospital in Mashhad in 2016-2019: A Retrospective Study

Abstract

Introduction: The present study aimed to investigate the etiology and epidemiology of maxillofacial spaces infection in patients referred to Kamyab Hospital, Mashhad, during 2016-2019. Materials and Methods: The medical records of patients who had been referred to Kamyab Hospital in Mashhad due to maxillofacial abscess were reviewed in this cross-sectional study. The research variables included gender, age, offending tooth, type of abscess, symptoms, systemic problems, smoking and alcohol use, type of antibiotics prescribed, type of anesthesia and surgical procedure, length of hospitalization, postsurgical complications. Data were analyzed in SPSS software (version 19). Results: The present study was con conducted on 209 cases (including 86 (41.1%) females and 123(58.9%) males) with a mean age of 35.45±14.19 years. A number of 58 (27.8%) patients used cigarettes and tobacco and 26 (12.4%) subjects consumed alcohol. Moreover, 34 (16.3%) cases had a systemic disease. The highest frequency of offending tooth was related to lower third molar in 56 (26.8%) cases. The most infected site was submandibular in 108 (51.7%) cases, and the most abscess-related symptom was swelling in 179 (85.6%) subjects. The most common complication was Ludwig's angina, and the most prescribed antibiotic was clindamycin in 151 cases. Conclusion: As evidenced by the results of the present study, maxillofacial abscesses can cause irreversible complications for patients. Patients with infected pterygomandibular and submasseteric spaces were more likely to be hospitalized longer than others.