title: The Public Health Impact of Pediatric Deep Neck Space Infections.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  There is little consensus about the best management of pediatric deep neck space infections (DNSIs) and limited information about the national disease burden. The purpose of this study is to examine the health care burden, management, and complications of DNSIs from a national perspective.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective administrative data set review.
  
  
  METHODS
  National pediatric admission database.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pediatric patients diagnosed with a parapharyngeal space and/or retropharyngeal abscess were identified from the 2009 KIDS' Inpatient Database. Patient demographic, hospital, and clinical characteristics were compared between patients who received surgical and nonsurgical management. All results for the analyses were weighted, clustered, and stratified appropriately according to the sampling design of the KIDS' Inpatient Database.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of DNSIs was 3444 in 2009, and the estimated incidence was 4.6 per 100,000 children. The total hospital charges were >$75 million. The patients who were drained surgically had a 22% longer length of stay (mean = 4.19 days) than that of those who were managed without surgery (mean = 3.44 days). Mean hospital charges for patients who were drained surgically were almost twice those of patients who were managed medically ($28,969 vs $17,022); 165 patients (4.8%) had a complication.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There are >3400 admissions for pediatric DNSIs annually, and they account for a significant number of inpatient days and hospital charges. A randomized controlled trial of management may be indicated from a public health perspective.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology and Communication Enhancement, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA Department of Otology and Laryngology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: Eelam
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Adil
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology and Communication Enhancement, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: Yael
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tarshish
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology and Communication Enhancement, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA Department of Otology and Laryngology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Roberson
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology and Communication Enhancement, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA Clinical Research Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: Jisun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology and Communication Enhancement, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA Department of Otology and Laryngology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: Greg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Licameli
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology and Communication Enhancement, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA Department of Otology and Laryngology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA Margaret.kenna@childrens.harvard.edu.
authors.forename: Margaret
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kenna
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D017281:Cost of Illness; D019992:Databases as Topic; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007239:Infections / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009333:Neck; D010608:Pharyngeal Diseases / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery; D017703:Retropharyngeal Abscess / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery; D012189:Retrospective Studies
keywords: deep neck space infection; parapharyngeal; public health; retropharyngeal abscess