Table 3 Clinical findings comparing Covid-19 year with the two preceding years regarding abscess localization, presence of desolate dental status, length of hospitalization and ICU stay, and time to treatment
Clinical findings | Preceding years n = 663 (%) | Covid-19 year n = 298 (%) |
Abscess type and location | ||
Pericoronitis-abscess | 5 (0.8) | 1 (0.3) |
Apical periodontitis/ Periimplantitis-abscess | 23 (3.5) | 14 (4.7) |
Enosseal abscess | 1 (0.1) | 0 (0) |
Subperiosteal abscess | 18 (2.7) | 17 (5.7) |
Submucosal abscess | 52 (7.8) | 16 (5.4) |
Fossa canaina abscess | 130 (19.6) | 64 (21.5) |
Parotid abscess | 1 (0.1) | 0 (0) |
Lip abscess | 4 (0.6) | 0 (0) |
Tongue abscess | 2 (0.3) | 0 (0) |
Palatinal abscess | 5 (0.8) | 5 (1.7) |
Buccal abscess | 45 (6.8) | 19 (6.4) |
Retromaxillary abscess | 0 (0) | 2 (0.7) |
Chin abscess | 5 (0.8) | 0 (0) |
Paramandibular abscess | 170 (25.6) | 57 (19.1) |
Perimandibular abscess | 91 (13.7) | 61 (20.5) |
Sublingual abscess | 26 (3.9) | 9 (3.0) |
Submental abscess | 13 (2.0) | 6 (2.0) |
Submandibular abscess | 35 (5.3) | 8 (2.7) |
Masseterico-/pterygomandibular abscess | 15 (2.3) | 6 (2.0) |
Para-/retropharyngeal abscess | 3 (0.5) | 1 (0.3) |
Several lodges abscess | 1 (0.1) | 3 (1.0) |
Not other specified abscess | 18 (2.7) | 9 (3.0) |
Desolate dental chart | 171 (25.8) | 109 (36.6) |
Hospitalisation (days) | mean 6 (1–51) | mean 6 (1–50) |
Length of ICU stay (days) | mean 10 (1–27) | mean 5 (1–12) |
Time to treatment (days) | mean 7 (1–270) | mean 8 (1–320) |
Potentially life-threatening cases (ICU patients) n = 25 | Preceding years n = 17 (68) | Covid-19 year n = 8 (32) |
Massive pharyngeal swelling (potentially life-threatening) | 11 (44) | 7 (28) |
Dysphagia | 1 (4) | 0 (0) |
Oxygen saturation drop | 2 (8) | 0 (0) |
Acute kidney disease | 0 (0) | 1 (4) |
Mediastinitis | 1 (4) | 0 (0) |
Sepsis | 2 (8) | 0 (0) |