Deep neck space infections of odontogenic origin are costly and preventable

Bibliographic Details
Title: Deep neck space infections of odontogenic origin are costly and preventable
Authors: Christina Hellgren, Johan Hellgren, Behnosh Öhrnell Malekzadeh
Source: Acta Odontologica Scandinavica, Vol 83, Iss 1 (2024)
Publisher Information: Medical Journals Sweden, 2024.
Publication Year: 2024
Collection: LCC:Dentistry
Subject Terms: Deep neck space infection, odontogenic, cost of illness, direct costs, indirect costs, Dentistry, RK1-715
More Details: Objective: Deep neck space infections (DNSI), caused by the spread of an odontogenic infection to the floor of the mouth and neck, are potentially life-threatening but preventable. We explored the total cost of illness (COI) for patients with DNSI of odontogenic origin. Material and methods: Cross-sectional, register-based, multi-centre study of the health economics of DNSI treatment. Included were patients aged > 18 years who were treated in hospital for DNSI of odontogenic origin. Subjects were identified from the regional healthcare database VEGA based on the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes and surgical procedure codes. The cost per patient (CPP) values for the hospital care, prescription medications and sick leave were extracted. Results: In total, 148 patients were included. The average length of the hospital stay was 6 days. Total COI was estimated as 15,400 EUR per patient and 2,280,000 EUR in total. Direct costs accounted for 93% of the COI, and indirect costs were 7%. Conclusion: The total COI for patients with DNSI of odontogenic origin was six-fold higher than the average COI for patients in otorhinolaryngology (ORL) care. Preventing DNSI will entail substantial cost savings for the specialised healthcare units and will have a significant impact on the patients.
Document Type: article
File Description: electronic resource
Language: English
ISSN: 0001-6357
1502-3850
Relation: https://medicaljournalssweden.se/actaodontologica/article/view/41382; https://doaj.org/toc/0001-6357; https://doaj.org/toc/1502-3850
DOI: 10.2340/aos.v83.41382
Access URL: https://doaj.org/article/69b3bcb17f984f89887d15597ab60c7f
Accession Number: edsdoj.69b3bcb17f984f89887d15597ab60c7f
Database: Directory of Open Access Journals
More Details
ISSN:00016357
15023850
DOI:10.2340/aos.v83.41382
Published in:Acta Odontologica Scandinavica
Language:English