title: Characteristics of deep neck infection in children according to weight percentile.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effect of weight percentile on deep neck infections in children.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective evaluation of 79 patients who were treated for deep neck infections. The patients were divided into six groups according to weight percentile. Patients who had systemic and/or congenital disease were excluded. Their demographics, etiology, localization, laboratory, and treatment results were reviewed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In total, 79 pediatric patients were recorded: 48.1% were females and 51.9% were males, with a mean age of 7.3 years. In total, 60 patients were under the 50th percentile according to their weight versus all children. The anteroposterior triangle (29.1%) and submandibular (26.5%) spaces were most commonly involved with deep neck infection. However, the anteroposterior triangle space was the highest in the group below the 3rd percentile (44.4%). In the blood analysis, white blood cell levels in patients with at percentile values of 75-50 were higher than other groups (P<0.05). Significant differences were found between C-reactive protein and hemoglobin levels and diameter of abscesses. The need for surgical drainage in patients in lower percentiles was higher. The patients who needed surgical drainage consisted of 56 patients (93.3%) below the 50th percentile and 9 patients (100%) below the 3rd percentile.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Deep neck infection is more insidious and dangerous in low-weight-percentile children, especially those having low white blood cell counts, low hemoglobin levels, and high C-reactive protein in laboratory results.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Faculty of Medicine, Yuzuncu Yil University, Van, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mehmet Fatih
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Garca
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Regional Education and Research Hospital, Erzurum, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Budak
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Yuzuncu Yil University, Van, Turkey.
authors.forename: Nihat
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Demir
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Faculty of Medicine, Yuzuncu Yil University, Van, Turkey.
authors.forename: Hakan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cankaya
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Faculty of Medicine, Yuzuncu Yil University, Van, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ahmet Faruk
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Kiroglu
keywords: C-reactive protein; Children; Deep neck infection; Hemoglobin; Percentile