Research on clinical characteristics in children with a neck abscess treated at the division of pediatric otorhinolaryngology from 2016 to 2022

Abstract

Apscesi dubokih prostora vrata nastaju najčešće kao posljedica infekcija gornjih dišnih puteva. Često su praćeni brzim razvojem kliničke slike te mogu voditi komplikacijama opasnim po život. Iz ovih razloga poznavanje značajki pacijenata s apscesom na vratu može uvelike pomoći u donošenju kliničkih odluka, primjerenom početku liječenja i sprječavanju potencijalnih komplikacija. Cilj ovog retrospektivnog kohortnog istraživanja bio je odrediti značajke djece s apscesom na vratu kirurški liječenih na Klinici za otorinolaringologiju i kirurgiju glave i vrata Kliničkog bolničkog centra „Sestre Milosrdnice“. Retrospektivno su sakupljeni i analizirani podaci iz bolničkog informacijskog sustava te operacijskog protokola o djeci koja su kirurški liječena u Kliničkom bolničkom centru „Sestre milosrdnice “ u razdoblju od 2016. do 2022. godine. U istraživanje je uključeno 54 pacijenta od toga je 56% pacijenata muškog, a 44% ženskog spola. Prosječna dob svih pacijenata je iznosila 5,87 godina, a medijan dobi 5,39 godina. Najučestaliji bio je peritonzilarni apsces s udjelom od 44,44% ukupnih pacijenata. Prikupljeni su podatci dobiveni iz brisa ždrijela te intraoperativnog brisa apscesa. Najčešće izoliran mikroorganizam bio je beta hemolitički streptokok grupe A koji je izoliran u 46,43% pacijenata. Najčešće proveden kirurški pristup bio je transoralni pristup te najčešći zahvat incizija i drenaža.The most frequent cause of deep neck infections is an upper respiratory tract infection. Deep neck infections often have a rapid onset and can lead, if untreated, to life-threatening complications. For those reasons, understanding the characteristics of patients with deep neck infections is of great importance for clinical decision-making, the initiation of empiric therapy, and the prevention of potential complications. The aim of this retrospective cohort study was to determine the characteristics of children with surgically treated neck abscesses at the Clinic for Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery of the Clinical Hospital Center "Sisters of Charity". Data from the hospital information system and the operating protocol of children surgically treated at the "Sisters of Charity" Clinical Hospital Center in the period from 2016 to 2022 were retrospectively collected and analyzed. 54 patients were included in the study, of whom 44% were female and 56% were male. The average age of all patients was 5,87 years, and the median age was 5,39 years. With a percentage of 44,44% of all patients, peritonsillar abscesses were the most common. To analyze the frequency of isolated microorganisms, data from pharyngeal swabs and intraoperative abscess swabs were collected. The most frequently isolated microorganism was group A of beta hemolytic streptococci, which was isolated in 46,43% of patients. The most common surgical approach was transoral, and the most common method was surgical incision and drainage