A clinical prediction score to determine surgical drainage of deep neck infection: A retrospective case-control study

The objective of this retrospective study was to identify predictors of an abscess guaranteed to be surgically drained successfully in patients with deep neck infection (DNI).

We divided 97 consecutive patients with DNI into a drained group and a non-drained group. We then developed a clinical prediction score and validated it in 32 further patients.

Significant predictors of successful surgical drainage (i.e., positive for pus) were rim enhancement on computed tomography, C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and the neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio. The estimated cut-off values (excluding rim enhancement, which is a yes/no parameter) were 41.25, 56.5, and 8.02, respectively, and the clinical prediction score for each of the four other factors was determined to be 2, 2, 3, and 3 points, respectively. The cut-off score for the sum of these points was 6.5 and the scoring system had an accuracy of 87.5% in the validation group.

Our clinical prediction scoring system can predict whether drainage is successful in patients with DNI.