Intubation decision criteria in adult epiglottitis

Difficult intubation in a patient with acute epiglottitis and abscess complicated with cervical necrotizing fasciitis: A case report

INTRODUCTION

Acute epiglottitis is not uncommon and it can cause high mortality due to airway obstruction. Acute epiglottitis complicated with cervical necrotizing fasciitis has rarely been reported, and it is also a life-threatening disease with a fatality rate of 7% to 50%.

PATIENT CONCERNS

A 64-year-old woman presented to our hospital with chief complaints of sore throat and cervical swelling, long with foreign body sensation and hoarseness. Endoscopic laryngoscopy showed erythematous and swollen epiglottis with purulent secretions on the surface. Computed tomography (CT) scan showed swollen epiglottis and swelling of the neck with air- and fluid-containing necrotizing tissue.

DIAGNOSES

The diagnosis was acute epiglottitis and abscess complicated with cervical necrotizing fasciitis.

INTERVENTIONS

With the patient in awake condition, airway access was established by performing intubation with adjunctive use of gum elastic bougie, followed by surgical debridement under general anesthesia; a flap was used for skin coverage and intravenous piperacillin-tazobactam was administered.

OUTCOMES

The patient was discharged without complications.

CONCLUSION

Gum elastic bougie is a usable tool in difficult intubation. Adequate pre-anesthesia evaluation, patient sedation, and gentle manipulation assured the intubation success in this case.

Assessment of Factors Associated With Long-Term Hospitalization in Patients With a Deep Neck Infection

BACKGROUND

Deep neck infection (DNI) is a severe infectious disorder of deep neck spaces that can cause serious complications. Long-term hospitalization is when a patient spends more time in the hospital than originally expected for a disease. There are few studies assessing the risk factors associated with long-term hospitalization for a DNI. This study investigated the factors causing DNI patients to experience long-term hospitalization.

METHODS

Long-term hospitalization is defined as a length of hospital stay exceeding 28 days (> 4 weeks) in this research. A total of 362 subjects with a DNI between October 2017 and November 2022 were recruited. Among these patients, 20 required long-term hospitalization. The relevant clinical variables were assessed.

RESULTS

In a univariate analysis, C-reactive protein (odds ratio [OR] = 1.003, 95% CI: 1.000-1.007, P = .044), involvement of ≥3 deep neck spaces (OR = 2.836, 95% CI: 1.140-7.050, P = .024), and mediastinitis (OR = 8.102, 95% CI: 3.041-21.58, P < .001) were significant risk factors for long-term hospitalization in DNI patients. In a multivariate analysis, mediastinitis (OR = 6.018, 95% CI: 2.058-17.59, P = .001) was a significant independent risk factor for long-term hospitalization for a DNI. There were no significant differences in pathogens between the patients with and without long-term hospitalization (all P > .05). However, the rates of no growth of specific pathogens were significantly different between patients with and without long-term hospitalization, and those with long-term hospitalization had greater rates of growth of specific pathogens (P = .032). The rate of tracheostomy in patients with long-term hospitalization was higher than for those without (P < .001). Nevertheless, the rates of surgical incision and drainage between patients with and without long-term hospitalization did not achieve statistical significance (P = .069).

CONCLUSIONS

Deep neck infection (DNI) is a critical, life-threatening disease that could lead to long-term hospitalization. The higher CRP and involvement of ≥3 deep neck spaces were significant risk factors in univariate analysis, while concurrent mediastinitis was an independent risk factor associated with long-term hospitalization. We suggest intensive care and prompt airway protection for DNI patients with concurrent mediastinitis.

Factors Creating a Need for Repeated Drainage of Deep Neck Infections

Deep neck infection (DNI) is associated with morbidity and mortality. Surgical incision and drainage (I&D) of DNI abscesses are essential. Refractory abscesses require repeat I&D. Few studies have assessed the risk factors associated with repeat I&D; here, we investigated such factors. In total, 605 patients with DNI were enrolled between July 2016 and February 2022. Of these patients, 107 underwent repeat I&D. Clinical variables were assessed. On univariate analysis, a high blood sugar level (odds ratio (OR) = 1.006, p < 0.001), the involvement of at least four neck spaces (OR = 15.44, p < 0.001), and mediastinitis (OR = 1.787, p = 0.040) were significant risk factors for repeat I&D. On multivariate analysis, a high blood sugar level (OR = 1.005, p < 0.001) and the involvement of at least four neck spaces (OR = 14.79, p < 0.001) were significant independent risk factors for repeat I&D. Patients who required repeat I&D had longer hospital stays and a higher tracheostomy rate than did other patients (both p < 0.05). The pathogens did not differ between patients who did and did not require repeat surgical I&D (all p > 0.05), but the rates of pathogen non-growth from blood cultures were 19.47% (97/498) in the group without a need for repeat I&D and 0.93% (1/107) in the group with such a need (p < 0.001). DNI can be fatal; a higher blood sugar level and the involvement of at least four neck spaces were independent risk factors for repeat surgical I&D. If at least four neck spaces are involved, we recommend controlling the blood sugar level after admission. We found significant differences in the length of hospital stay and the need for tracheostomy between groups who did and did not require repeat surgical I&D. Although the pathogens did not differ between the groups, pathogen non-growth from blood cultures was less common in the group with for repeat surgical I&D than in the group without such a need.

Factors Affecting Patients with Concurrent Deep Neck Infection and Acute Epiglottitis

Deep neck infection (DNI) is a serious disease of deep neck spaces that can lead to morbidities and mortality. Acute epiglottitis (AE) is a severe infection of the epiglottis, which can lead to airway obstruction. However, there have been no studies of risk factors in patients with concurrent DNI and AE. This study was performed to investigate this issue. A total of 502 subjects with DNI were enrolled in the study between June 2016 and August 2021. Among these patients, 30 had concurrent DNI and AE. The relevant clinical variables were assessed. In a univariate analysis, involvement of the parapharyngeal space (OR = 21.50, 95% CI: 2.905–158.7, p < 0.001) and involvement of the submandibular space (OR = 2.064, 95% CI: 0.961–4.434, p < 0.001) were significant risk factors for concurrent DNI and AE. In a multivariate analysis, involvement of the parapharyngeal space (OR = 23.69, 95% CI: 3.187–175.4, p = 0.002) and involvement of the submandibular space (OR = 2.465, 95% CI: 1.131–5.375, p < 0.023) were independent risk factors for patients with concurrent DNI and AE. There were no differences in pathogens, therapeutic managements (tracheostomy, intubation, surgical drainage), or hospital staying period between the 30 patients with concurrent DNI and AE and the 472 patients with DNI alone (all p > 0.05). However, we believe it is significant that DNI and AE are concurrent because both DNI and AE potentially cause airway obstruction, and concurrence of these two diseases make airway protection more difficult. The infections in critical spaces may cause the coincidence of these two diseases. Involvement of the parapharyngeal space and involvement of the submandibular space were independent risk factors associated with concurrent DNI and AE. There were no differences in pathogens between the concurrent DNI and AE group and the DNI alone group.