Odontogenic infection involving the secondary fascial space in diabetic and non-diabetic patients: a clinical comparative study.
OBJECTIVE
This retrospective study was performed to evaluate the clinical impact of diabetes mellitus on the prognosis in secondary space infection.


METHODS
Medical records, radiographic images, computed tomography, and microbial studies of 51 patients (25 diabetic patients and 26 non-diabetic patients) were reviewed. Patients were diagnosed as secondary fascial space infections with odontogenic origin and underwent treatment at Chonnam National University Hospital, in Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, from January 2007 to February 2009.


RESULTS
COMPARED TO PATIENTS WITHOUT DIABETES, PATIENTS WITH DIABETES WERE PRESENTED WITH THE FOLLOWING CHARACTERISTICS: older age (diabetic patients: 62.9 years, non-diabetic patients, 47.8 years), more spaces involved (diabetic patients, 60%; non-diabetic patients, 27.3%), more intense treatment, longer hospitalization (diabetic patients, 28.9 days; non-diabetic patients, 15.4 days), higher white blood cell and C-reactive protein values, higher incidence of complication (diabetic patients, 40%; non-diabetic patients, 7.7%), and distinctive main causative microorganisms.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that the prognosis of diabetic patients is poorer than that of non-diabetic patients in secondary space infections since they had greater incidence rates of involved spaces, abnormal hematologic findings, more complications, and additional procedures, such as tracheostomy.
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Dentistry, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, Korea.
Je-Shin
JS
Chang
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Dentistry, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, Korea.
Kil-Hwa
KH
Yoo
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Dentistry, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, Korea.
Sung Hwan
SH
Yoon
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Dentistry, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, Korea.
Jiwon
J
Ha
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Dentistry, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, Korea.
Seunggon
S
Jung
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Dentistry, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, Korea.
Min-Suk
MS
Kook
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Dentistry, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, Korea.
Hong-Ju
HJ
Park
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Dentistry, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, Korea.
Sun-Youl
SY
Ryu
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Dentistry, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, Korea.
Hee-Kyun
HK
Oh
Abscess; Bacterial infections; Cellulitis; Diabetes complications; Diabetes mellitus