Multifunctional Irrigation-Assisted Vacuum Drainage versus Traditional Drainage in the Treatment of Odontogenic Deep Fascial Infection: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Abstract

Background: Odontogenic deep fascial space infection in the head and neck is a common clinical problem which requires emergency surgery. Traditional drainage method is considered laborious and gravity-dependent. We aimed in this study to promote a modified multifunctional irrigation-assisted vacuum drainage (MIVD) and evaluate the clinical effect of it in the treatment of odontogenic deep fascial infection.Methods: Patients diagnosed with odontogenic deep fascial space infection in the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, China between March 2018 and March 2021 were studied. We divided the patients into two groups based on the drainage method they received: patients with the MIVD device were included in the MIVD group, patients with traditional drainage were included in the traditional group. Data was collected retrospectively including baseline characteristics and treatment outcome variables. Pearson Chi-square test and the Student t-test were used in statistical analyses. Statistical difference was considered significant when p<0.05.Results: A total of 65 patients were included. All the patients were eventually cured. There were no significant differences in age, gender, systemic diseases, history of diabetes, tobacco use, number of the infected spaces, preoperative white blood cell count and C-reactive protein between the two groups (p>0.05). The number and frequency of manual irrigation by clinicians (MIC), time required for white blood cell count to return to normal levels (TWBC), time required for C-reactive protein to return to normal levels (TCRP), the length of hospitalization and the length and total cost of antibiotics use were significantly less in the MIVD group than those in the traditional group (p<0.05). There was no significant difference in the cost of hospitalization between the 2 groups (p>0.05).Conclusions: The MIVD device significantly reduced the number and frequency of MIC, TWBC, TCRP, the length of hospitalization and the length and total cost of antibiotics use in comparison with the traditional drainage method. It provided a favorable treatment method for patients with odontogenic deep fascial space infection in the head and neck.