Systemic complications derived from odontogenic facial cellulitis in Venezuelan children under the age of 6

Abstract

Aim: To determine the prevalence of systemic complications derived from odontogenic facial cellulitis and its relation to weight and height of children from 1 to 6 years hospitalized in the Pediatric Infectology Service of the University Hospital of Caracas in a period between 2006 and 2014. Materials and methods: An epidemiological and prevalence, non-experimental, retrospective, cross-sectional and analytical study was performed in convenience sample selected from 310 children aged 1 to 6 years. Data was analyzed by frequencies, percentages, averages, chi square test, Pearson correlation and Odds-Ratio. Results: The prevalence of systemic complications derived lofrom odontogenic facial cellulitis in this sample was 32% including: meningitis 15%, brain abscess 2%, pneumonia 6%, infective endocarditis 5% and septicemia 4%. 65.48% of the total sample presented low height and 68.06% low weight. Low weight was statistically related to the presence of systemic complications in this population. When compared with children of normal height and weight, children with low height (10th percentile) were 3 times more likely to present systemic complications and low weight children (10th percentile) 4 times higher chance for systemic complications. Conclusions: There are several systemic complications derived from an odontogenic facial cellulitis and can compromise the patient´s life. In this study the most frequent was meningitis. Weight and height are important variables to consider when evaluating and treating odontogenic infectious diseases in the pediatric population, since may constitute risk factors in the development of associated systemic complications.