Predictive factors of lethality and complications of deep fascial space infections of the neck

ABSTRACT Objective: to identify predictive factors for lethality and complications of deep fascial space infections of the neck (DFSIN), establishing an early and aggressive treatment in the neck before the progression to descending mediastinitis. Methods: we retrospectively analyzed 133 cases of DFSIN treated at Discipline of Head and Neck Surgery of the Medicine School of Santa Casa de Misericórdia de São Paulo. We accessed demographic characteristics, associated diseases, clinical presentation, laboratorial tests, length of hospital stay, number of involved anatomic neck spaces, intra-operative and microbiology findings. We analyzed these data using logistic regression to predict DFSIN lethality and life threatening complications (mediastinitis, septic shock, pneumonia, pleural empyema, skin necrosis). Results: lethality and complication ratios were 9% and 50.3%, respectively. The logistic regression model showed that patients with septic shock were more likely to have progression to death (p