title: Comparison of multi-space infections of the head and neck in the elderly and non-elderly people, part II: the influencing factors of the outcomes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aims to identify significant predictors of 3 outcomes in the aged patients and non-elderly with multi-space infections of the head and neck: the number of incisions, the length of hospital stay, and complications.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective study was conducted on 242 patients receiving treatment for severe multi-space infections of the head and neck region. Study variables were categorized as demographics, clinical parameters, and laboratory values. The outcome variables were the number of incisions, length of hospital stay, and complications. Multivariate linear and logistic regression techniques were used to measure associations between study variables and the outcome variables. Statistical analyses of the results between groups were performed using the Student t test and χ.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Multivariate analyses, controlling for confounding variables, indicated that the number of spaces affected was a predictor of the number of incisions and complications in the elderly group. In the non-elderly group, the number of spaces affected was a predictor of the number of incisions and length of hospital stay. Admission blood glucose level and admission white blood cell count were the predictors of complications in the non-elderly.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study identifies different study variables as predictors of outcomes in treating multi-space infections of the head and neck in the elderly and non-elderly group. The number of spaces affected is the most important predictor.
authors.affiliation: From the *Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Ninth People's Hospital, School of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology and Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology, Shanghai; and †Department of Thoracic Surgery, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: LingYan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Chi
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: WeiJie
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: XieYi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: BaoLi
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: YiPing
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Pu
authors.forename: JiaMin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Guan
mesh_terms: D000038:Abscess / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006257:Head / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009333:Neck / Q000601:surgery*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors