Post-operative clinical course in children undergoing mastoidectomy due to complicated acute mastoiditis

Oren Ziv1,2,3, Aviad Sapir4,5,6, Eugene Leibovitz7,2,3

  • 1Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Ben-Gurion University, Beer-Sheva, Israel.

Insights

Post-mastoidectomy fever in children with complicated acute mastoiditis is common and typically benign for up to six days. Patients with multiple complications are more likely to develop fever and specific bacterial infections.

Area of Science:

  • Otolaryngology
  • Pediatric Surgery
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Complicated acute mastoiditis (CAM) requires surgical intervention.
  • Understanding the post-operative course is crucial for pediatric care.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the immediate post-operative outcomes in pediatric patients with CAM after surgery.
  • To compare outcomes between patients with single versus multiple complications.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective chart review of 33 pediatric patients with CAM who underwent mastoid surgery (2012-2019).
  • Patients were divided into single complication group (SCG) and multiple complication group (MCG).
  • Outcomes analyzed included post-operative fever (POF) and microbial cultures.

Main Results:

  • Multiple complication group (MCG) patients had a higher incidence of post-operative fever (75%) compared to single complication group (SCG) patients (35.3%).
  • Fever was generally benign, resolving within 6 days post-surgery.
  • Fusobacterium necrophorum was more prevalent in MCG (77.8%), while Streptococcus pneumoniae was common in SCG (55.5%).

Conclusions:

  • Post-mastoidectomy fever in CAM is common and usually benign in the first 5-6 days.
  • MCG patients exhibit a higher propensity for developing post-operative fever.
  • Distinct bacterial pathogens are associated with different complication groups in CAM.
Abstract