Complicated Posterior Cervical Skin and Soft Tissue Infections at a Single Referral Center

• Published in: BioMed research international 2020, Vol.2020 (2020), p.1-10
• Main Authors: Yu, Jia-Ao, Shi, Kai, Yu, Qing-Hua, Wang, Jian, Wu, Zhen-Dong, Zhang, Nan, Zhang, Xiu-Hang, Zhao, Jing-Chun, Hong, Lei
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Abscesses; Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Anti-Bacterial Agents - therapeutic use; Antibiotics; Blood; Cardiovascular disease; Cefepime; Complications; Data analysis; Debridement; Diabetes mellitus; Diagnostic systems; Erythema; Female; Hemoglobin; Hospitalization; Hospitals; Humans; Infections; Intensive care; Laboratories; Length of Stay; Male; Medical imaging; Middle Aged; Mortality; Necrotizing fasciitis; Pain; Patients; Physiological aspects; Referral and Consultation; Retrospective Studies; Sepsis; Signs and symptoms; Skin; Skin diseases; Skin Diseases, Infectious - drug therapy; Skin Diseases, Infectious - microbiology; Skin Diseases, Infectious - pathology; Soft Tissue Infections - drug therapy; Soft Tissue Infections - microbiology; Soft Tissue Infections - pathology; Soft tissues; Staphylococcal Infections - drug therapy; Staphylococcal Infections - microbiology; Staphylococcus aureus - isolation & purification; Studies; Substance abuse treatment; Surgery; Tissues; Vancomycin; Young Adult
• ISSN: 2314-6133; 2314-6141
• DOI: 10.1155/2020/5230763

Background. Although the incidence and mortality of complicated skin and soft tissue infections have decreased, this infection is still relatively frequent and can be associated with lethal complications. In this study, the authors present our clinical experience of patients with complicated posterior cervical skin and soft tissue infections (CPCSSTIs) diagnosed and treated in a reconstructive unit in northeastern China. Methods. A retrospective chart review of patients diagnosed with CPCSSTIs from January 2009 to December 2018 was performed. To make the results objective and convincing, a data analysis was performed relating to demographic characteristics, clinical presentation, predisposing factor, bacterial culture, laboratory and radiographic evaluations, diagnostic clues, management, and complications as well as the clinical course and outcome. Results. During the ten-year period, there were 174 consecutive patients admitted to our reconstructive center with final diagnosis of CPCSSTIs included. All the patients were adults, and the majority were male (67.2%). The patient’s mean age was 51.3 years (range, 15-88 years). There were 114 patients (65.5%) that had associated systemic diseases, with diabetes mellitus (40.2%) as the most common predisposing factor. Common presented clinical symptoms were pain (90.8%), swelling (85.1%), and erythema (77%) of the neck. Surgical treatment was performed in all the patients, and most of them (83.9%) received the first surgery within 24 h. The most commonly isolated pathogen was Staphylococcus aureus (30%). Vancomycin (21.3%) was the most commonly used antibiotics, followed by cefepime (18.4%). All the patients survived and were discharged with a mean duration of hospitalization of 28.7 days. Those patients with predisposing factors (31.4±12.35 days) or complications (41.0±12.5 days) tended to have a longer hospital stay. The mean total costs of admission per patient were 47 644 RMB. Conclusion. This study highlights the high cost burden of CPCSSTI patients. Those patients with predisposing factors or complications tended to have a longer hospital stay.