Pediatric odontogenic infection treatment approaches: retrospective analysis

Severe pediatric odontogenic infections may result from caries, periodontal issues, or direct trauma. Untreated, they can cause serious complications. Treatment protocols vary between hospitals. This study compared patient characteristics, treatment outcomes, and hospitalization parameters in two Israeli hospitals. A retrospective (2018-2021) cohort study included patients under 18 suffering from dental infections treated at the Maxillofacial Surgery Department of Rambam Health Care Campus (RHCC) in Haifa, Israel, or the Pediatrics Department of Hillel Yaffe Medical Center (HYMC) in Hadera, Israel. Data included patient demographics, clinical evaluations, treatments, and hospitalization details. Treatment protocols, which differed by hospital policy, served as the predictor variable (HYMC: hospitalization with IV antibiotics; RHCC: tooth extraction with subperiosteal drainage). The primary and secondary outcomes were hospitalization duration and days to clinical improvement, respectively. A total of 156 patients (78 per hospital) were enrolled. The total hospitalization period was twice as long at HYMC compared to RHCC (3.6 ± 1.2 vs. 1.9 ± 0.7; p < 0.001), and the time to clinical improvement was nearly three times higher (3.5 ± 1.3 vs. 1.1 ± 0.3; p < 0.001). The study demonstrates that surgical treatment results in faster clinical improvement and shorter hospitalization, indicating the need for personalized treatment protocols to optimize patient outcomes.