Table 4 Associations between explanatory and predictor variables and duration of hospital stay

All

145

34.9

270

65.1

Sex

^ap = 0.174

 Male

78

53.8

32.1

165

61.1

67.9

 Female

67

46.2

39.0

105

38.9

61.0

Age (years)

^bp = 0.066

 Range

16–89

16–95

 Mean

41.6

45.5

 Median

36.8

42.4

Smoking

 Yes

33

22.1

34.7

62

22.6

65.3

^ap = 0.584

 No

54

37.2

38.6

86

31.9

61.4

 Not known

58

40.0

32.2

122

45.6

67.8

Heavy alcohol consumption

 Yes

2

1.4

15.4

11

4.1

84.6

^ap = 0.235

 No

143

98.6

35.6

259

95.9

64.4

Immunodeficiency

 Yes

16

11.0

24.6

49

18.1

75.4

^ap = 0.066

 No

129

89.0

36.9

221

81.9

63.1

Swallowing difficulty

 Yes

86

59.3

34.3

165

61.1

65.7

^ap = 0.915

 No

55

37.9

35.3

101

37.4

64.7

 Not known

4

2.8

50.0

4

1.5

50.0

Restricted mouth opening

 Yes

46

31.7

29.7

109

40.4

70.3

^ap = 0.065

 No

71

49.0

40.3

105

38.9

59.7

 Not known

28

19.3

33.3

56

20.7

66.7

Respiratory difficulty

 Yes

3

2.1

15.0

17

6.3

85.0

^ap = 0.058

 No

142

97.9

35.9

253

93.7

64.1

Facial skin redness

 Yes

24

16.6

30.4

55

20.4

69.6

^ap = 0.297

 No

119

82.1

37.0

203

75.2

63.0

 Not known

2

1.4

14.3

12

4.4

85.7

Facial and/or neck swelling

 Yes

46

31.7

27.4

122

45.2

72.6

^ap = 0.006

 No

99

68.3

40.6

145

53.7

59.4

 Not known

0

0

0.0

3

1.1

100.0

CRP level at hospital admission (mg/l)

 Range

0–504

0–513

^cp = 0.018

 Mean

127.8

156.5

 Median

109.0

IQR (56–175.5)

143.0

IQR (80.3–216)

White blood cell count at hospital admission (E⁹/l)

 Range

1.1–36.6

3.6–33.7

^cp = 0.109

 Mean

13.6

14.8

 Median

13.0

IQR (10.5–15.8)

14.2

IQR (11–17.5)

Tympanic temperature

  < 38 °C

16

11.0

25.0

48

17.8

75.0

^ap = 0.180

  ≥ 38 °C

116

80

36.8

199

73.7

63.2

 Not known

13

9.0

36.1

23

8.5

63.9

Surgical intervention

 Yes

97

66.9

33.6

192

71.1

66.4

^ap = 0.373

 Additional tracheostomy

0

0

0.0

8

3.0

100.0

 No

48

33.1

38.1

78

28.9

61.9

Delay (days) from beginning of symptoms to hospital admission

 Range

0–21

0–44

^cp = 0.893

 Mean

4.6

4.8

 Median

3.0

IQR (2–6)

4.0

IQR (2–6)

Odontogenic infection

 Yes

30

20.7

29.7

71

26.3

70.3

^ap = 0.231

 No

115

79.3

36.6

199

73.7

63.4

 Peritonsillar and/or tonsillar infection and/or parapharyngeal infection

92

63.4

43.8

118

43.7

56.2

 Sinusititis

1

0.7

16.7

5

1.9

83.3

 Epiglottitis and/or supraglottitis

8

5.5

19.0

34

12.6

81.0

 Sialadenitis

9

6.2

29.0

22

8.1

71.0

 Iatrogenic/trauma

2

1.4

22.2

7

2.6

77.8

 Other soft-tissue infection

3

2.1

18.8

13

4.8

81.3