Abstract:

Objective To investigate the risk factors associated with the need for surgical intervention in patients with oral and maxillofacial space infection(OMSI). Methods A total of 18 OMSI patients who underwent surgical intervention in our hospital were selected as the experimental group, and 24 OMSI patients who improved with only antibiotic treatment during the same period were selected as the control group. Statistical analysis was performed on patients’ baseline demographic characteristics, initial serological markers(including complete blood count, CRP, and composite indices such as NLR and PLR), clinical symptoms, and systemic disease history to retrospectively identify risk factors for surgical intervention in patients with orofacial space infections. Results In the univariate analysis, there were no significant differences(P>0.05)in baseline demographic characteristics(age and gender), clinical symptoms(whether respiration and swallowing were affected, and whether trismus was present), and history of systemic diseases(diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease) between the two groups.However, significant differences were observed in the percentage of neutrophils, absolute number of lymphocytes, absolute number of monocytes, and NLR between the groups(P<0.05). In the multivariate binary Logistic regression model, the percentage of neutrophils, absolute number of monocytes, and NLR were retained as risk factors for surgical intervention outcomes. The area under the ROC curve(AUC) was 0.86(95% confidence interval: 0.75-0.97). The Hosmer-Lemeshow test showed a P-value of 0.604(P>0.05), indicating a good fit of the model. Conclusion Abnormal levels of neutrophil percentage, absolute number of monocytes, and high NLR in the initial serological indicators of patients with oral and maxillofacial space infections are risk factors for the need for surgical intervention later on.

Key words: oral and maxillofacial space infection, risk factors, surgical intervention, retrospective analysis