Article ID: JJID.2019.273
To assess the rate and risk factors of postoperative complications following tooth extraction in HIV-infected patients by CD4 count. The study subjects were 231 HIV-infected patients who underwent tooth extraction at our institution between January 2007 and December 2011. Results of blood test, underlying diseases, surgical site, extraction method, and postoperative complications were obtained from the medical records. The risk factors potentially involved in postoperative complications were analyzed by multivariate logistic regression. Patients were divided into two groups, 61 (26%) patients with CD4 count of <200 /μL, and 170 (74%) patients with ≥200 /μL. Of the 231 patients, 12 (5.2%) developed postoperative complications (alveolar osteitis, n=10; surgical site infection, n=2). The rate of complications was not different between the CD4<200 /μL group (1.6%), and the CD4≥200 /μL group (6.5%) (adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 9.328, 95% confidence interval (CI): (0.470, 185.229), p=0.1431). Surgical extraction method with bone excavation, but not CD4 count, were identified as risk factors for post-extraction complications (aOR: 22.037, 95%CI: (1.519, 319.617), p=0.0234). A low CD4 count is not a risk factor for post-extraction complications in HIV-infected patients. We advise that tooth extraction should be performed based on dental/oral condition, rather than delayed until improvement of CD4 count.
