Differences between patients with or without the need for intensive care due to severe odontogenic infections

Purpose: Despite greatly improved dental health in industrialized countries, severe odontogenic infections still occasionally lead to hospitalization. The aim of the present study was to determine whether what symptoms, signs, or laboratory parameters on hospital admission were associated with the need for treatment in the intensive care unit (ICU). Patients and Methods: Over an 18-month period, 100 consecutive patients (59 male, 41 female) were included in the study. Twenty percent of the patients required ICU treatment because of cardiorespiratory problems or severe complications of their infection. Both ICU and non-ICU patients were examined clinically and blood samples were taken and studied in respect to several parameters associated with infection, including C-reactive protein (CRP) levels. The findings were analyzed statistically for differences between the groups. Results: No particular anamnestic background variable was associated with the need for intensive care. However, a particularly high CRP level on admission was found to be associated with a more severe course of the infection. Conclusions: This study showed that determination of CRP levels may be useful in clinical decision-making in patients with severe odontogenic infections. © 2001 American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons