2006 Volume 57 Issue 1 Pages 14-19
We performed a retrospective analysis of 23 patients who were surgically treated for deep neck space abscesses at Takeda General Hospital, Fukushima, Japan, between January 1, 2001, and December 31, 2003. This institution is one of the country's largest health care facilities in an urban setting. Demographics, presentation, site of abscess, associated systemic diseases, bacteriology, treatment, airway management, and outcome were reviewed.
Enhanced neck CT was taken for all patients at the initial examination. We classified the severity of the deep neck abscesses according to the site of the abscess on the CT image. All patients were admitted and underwent an operation on the day of admission. Medical and surgical interventions for each patient were evaluated, and organisms isolated from pus drained intraoperatively were recorded. Findings indicated that airway management was very important, as was the decision to perform a tracheotomy.
