Clinical features of odontogenic infection requiring extraoral drainage in elderly patients. A single‐institution retrospective study. Issue 2 (15th November 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Yoshizumi, Junko; Anzai, Hiromasa; Mitate, Eiji; Obayashi, Yuko; Mori, Shihomi; Yokoo, Yoshinobu; Hashimoto, Kenichiro; Hiraki, Akimitsu
• Is Part Of: Oral science international. Volume 18:Issue 2(2021)
• Page Start: 120
• Page End: 125
• Publication Date: 2020-11-15
• Subjects: comorbidity -- elderly people -- odontogenic infection -- surgical drainage; Oral medicine -- Periodicals; Mouth -- Diseases -- Periodicals; Mouth -- Diseases; Oral medicine; Oral Medicine -- Periodicals; Stomatognathic Diseases -- Periodicals; Periodicals; 617.522
• DOI: 10.1002/osi2.1092
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1348-8643

Abstract

Abstract: Elderly people are thought to be more vulnerable to microbial infections because of age‐related changes in the immune system and poorer nutritional status. Furthermore, comorbidities such as diabetes mellitus and medications can influence infection severity and response to treatment. To know more about the characteristics of odontogenic infections in the elderly patients, we compared the clinical characteristics between patients aged <75 years (control group; n = 22) and those aged ≥75 years (elderly group; n = 9), who underwent extraoral surgical drainage for odontogenic infection at our hospital's Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery from 2011 to 2016. The following features were more common in the elderly group than in the control group: hypertension, incisor as the causative tooth, submental space as the site of the abscess, periapical periodontitis as the initial inflammation, and Staphylococci as the isolated bacterium. The elderly group also had lower body mass index, serum albumin level and PNI than the control group, implying poorer nutritional status. There were no significant differences in the duration of hospitalization between the groups. Since comorbidities and malnutrition are still seen to be risk factors in the elderly, we should take care of them paying attention to not only to inflammatory markers, but also to nutrition markers and systemic conditions.