[The adverse effect of gas formation on prognosis in a patient with deep neck infection].
A seventy-one-year-old woman was hospitalized with a suspicion of deep neck infection and poor general health. She had been receiving treatment for hepatitis, diabetes mellitus, and cardiac failure and had a history of tooth ache and severe neck pain lasting for the past 10 days. She had been admitted to another center where she had received antibiotic treatment for five days for widespread swelling in the neck and lower extremities, fatigue, and difficulty in breathing and swallowing. Upon admission, computed tomography showed gas formation in the neck and facial regions. Prompt abscess drainage was performed and intense treatment with antibiotics was continued. Despite all efforts, the patient died on the second day of hospitalization from cardiopulmonary arrest. This case emphasizes how urgent drainage is when gas formation is detected in deep neck infections, with inevitable poor prognosis with antibiotic treatment alone.
Yasan
Hasan
H
Department of Otolaryngology, Medicine Faculty of Süleyman Demirel University, Isparta, Turkey. alpyasan@hotmail.com
Uygur
Kemal
K
Tüz
Mustafa
M
Doğru
Harun
H
D000368:Aged; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D005738:Gas Gangrene / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy; D006333:Heart Failure; D006505:Hepatitis; D006801:Humans; D019547:Neck Pain / Q000209:etiology; D010508:Periodontal Abscess / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed