Is there need for technical investigations in order to predict potential length of hospital stay of oral infections?

Abstract

Based on the statistical analysis of this population, the research group concludes that a thorough anamnesis and clinical examination should be accompanied by a blood analysis of CRP and white blood cell counts. Only then can a well-founded decision be reached on the severity of the case and the need for hospital admission. In an acute setting, radiological imaging is not required for assessing future morbidity, but it should be performed when accessible.

Medical Infrared Thermography in Odontogenic Facial Cellulitis as a Clinical Decision Support Tool. A Technical Note

“…Moreover, since prompt treatment of severe odontogenic infections promotes shorter hospital stays with fewer complications [6,40,41], MIT could become a tool for clinical decision support for physicians regarding the need of cervico-thoracic CT scans. Biological evaluations using blood analyses of the C-reactive proteins and numbers of white blood cells, which are predictive factors of severe complications of facial cellulitis, could also be requested [5,10,[42][43][44]. Lastly, thermography could be used for thermal monitoring in the evolution of cellulitis over time to observe, for example, the effectiveness of an antibiotic treatment.…”