Deep neck infections in geriatric patients; A clinical retrospective study

Abstract

In this study, the diagnosis and treatment results of patients over 65 years old who were followed-up with the diagnosis of deep neck infection in a tertiary hospital were evaluated retrospectively. The files of 18 patients over 65 years old who were followed-up with a diagnosis of deep neck infection in a tertiary otorhinolaryngology department between January 2012 and May 2019 were evaluated retrospectively. The most common infection was a peritonsillar abscess (50%) with 9 cases. The most common complaints at the time of admission were fever (83%) and sore throat (67%). The average onset of symptoms before admission to the hospital was 2-5 days (2-15 days). In most cases, ampicillin-sulbactam single or clindamycin or metronidazole were used. Nine patients with peritonsillar abscess were drained with local anesthesia, while four patients with parapharyngeal abscess and two patients with retropharyngeal abscess were operated with general anesthesia. Despite all the improvements in diagnosis and treatment, deep neck infections remain an important problem. The reduction of complications depends on the effective and sufficient duration of treatment in the early period. Especially in the geriatric population, comorbid diseases can accompany deep neck infections more aggressively.