Factors associated with hospitalization of children with acute odontogenic infections

The aim of this study was to compare the sociodemographic and clinical features of odontogenic infections between hospitalized and nonhospitalized children and to show what were the risk factors in children that could predict the course of odontogenic infection and indicate the need for hospital treatment. The design of our study was of the case-control type. The two study groups consisted of 70 inpatients and 35 outpatients with odontogenic infections who were treated at Department of Pediatric Dentistry and Department of Maxillofacial Surgery at Clinical Center in Kragujevac, Serbia. Clinical and sociodemographic data were collected retrospectively from patients' hospital records. The following characteristics were significantly associated with hospital treatment of children with acute odontogenic infection: living in a village (OR =7.26,[1.43-36.96]), multi-spatial infection (OR =0.04, [0.00-0.91]), and affection of upper face (OR = 0.01, [0.00-0.86]). Tooth extraction was important intervention in the treatment regimen and reduced frequency of hospitalization (OR=0.07, [0.01-0.70]). The differences between hospitalized and non-hospitalized children were not significant in regard to: ethnicity, employment of parents, anatomical region of infection, side of the facial infection, source of infection (posterior or anterior deciduous or permanent teeth), and treatment (drainage and incision, oral or parenteral antibiotics). In children with acute odontogenic infection it is necessary to do tooth extraction in timely manner, especially if the source of infection is tooth from upper jaw and if it is multi-spatial infection