Retropharyngeal abscess: a clinical review

1997 ◽  
Vol 111 (6) ◽  
pp. 546-550 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Goldenberg ◽  
A. Golz ◽  
H. Z. Joachims

AbstractRetropharyngeal abscesses are uncommon but potentially lethal infections, especially in the paediatric population under the age of five years. Abscesses in this group are classically secondary to upper respiratory infections especially oropharyngeal infections, while in the adult group they are usually secondary to trauma, foreign bodies, or as a complication of dental infections. Early diagnosis and the wide spread use of antibiotics have made these infections less common today. Between the years 1985–1996,19 cases of retropharyngeal abscesses were treated in our department. Factors such as age, sex, aetiology, presenting signs, symptoms, methods of diagnosis, treatment and complications were reviewed. Thirty-two per cent of the cases were secondary trauma. A lateral neck film showing widening of the prevertebral space was the most important diagnostic tool, computed tomography (CT) scan was used in 63 per cent of cases to verify the signs of an abscess and to provide more accurate anatomical localization.Thirteen cases required surgical drainage. The single most commonly isolated pathogen wasStreptococcus pyogenes. There were no deaths and only one recurrence requiring repeated surgical drainage. One case was complicated by a spinal canal abscess. We also report two cases of retropharyngeal abscess in children caused by swallowing of unusual foreign bodies.

Author(s):  
Inderdeep Singh ◽  
Vikas Gupta ◽  
Sunil Goyal ◽  
Manoj Kumar ◽  
Lakshmi Ranjit ◽  
...  

<p>Retropharyngeal abscesses are uncommon but potentially lethal infections. In the adult group they are usually secondary to trauma, foreign bodies, or as a complication of dental infections. Early diagnosis and the wide spread use of antibiotics have made these infections less common today. High index of suspicion and clinical acumen is required to provisionally diagnose these cases. In the current era where empirical use of high end and advanced antibiotics is prevalent it is not surprising to find patients with highly resistant microbes, such cases present further difficulty to treat. For large retropharyngeal abscesses, surgical drainage remains the primary modality followed by aggressive targeted antibiotic therapy. We present three cases of deep neck space infections with primary focus in retropharyngeal space. All required surgical drainage and aggressive postoperative care. Extensive review of literature of retropharyngeal abscess in adults was done to derive characterizations about this disease. </p>


1995 ◽  
Vol 74 (10) ◽  
pp. 701-704 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan Pontell ◽  
Gady Har-El ◽  
Frank E. Lucente

Retropharyngeal abscess, once a relatively common entity in children, is uncommon today. From 1981 to 1991, we treated 20 cases. Abscesses secondary to upper respiratory infection in children were seen only in three (15%) cases. Trauma and foreign bodies were the most common etiologic factors in the adult subgroup. Streptococcus viridans and Klebsiella pneumoniae were the most common pathogens. The use of contrast-enhanced computed tomography has had a significant impact on the diagnostic work-up. The choice of initial antibiotic therapy is discussed. There were no deaths in this series.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cheng Lei ◽  
Lisong Yang ◽  
Cheong Tat Lou ◽  
Fan Yang ◽  
Kin Ian SiTou ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Acute respiratory infections (ARIs) are among the leading causes of hospitalization in children. Understanding the local dominant viral etiologies is important to inform infection control practices and clinical management. This study aimed to investigate the viral etiology and epidemiology of respiratory infections among pediatric inpatients in Macao. Methods A retrospective study using electronic health records between 2014 and 2017 at Kiang Wu Hospital was performed. Nasopharyngeal swab specimens were obtained from hospitalized children aged 13 years or younger with respiratory tract diseases. xMAP multiplex assays were employed to detect respiratory agents including 10 respiratory viruses. Data were analyzed to describe the frequency and seasonality. Results Of the 4880 children enrolled in the study, 3767 (77.1%) were positive for at least one of the 13 viral pathogens tested, of which 2707 (55.5%) being male and 2635 (70.0%) under 2 years old. Among the positive results, there were 3091 (82.0%) single infections and 676 (18.0%) multiple infections. The predominant viruses included human rhinovirus/enterovirus (HRV/EV 27.4%), adenovirus (ADV, 15.8%), respiratory syncytial virus B (RSVB, 7.8%) and respiratory syncytial virus A (RSVA, 7.8%). The detection of viral infection was the most prevalent in autumn (960/1176, 81.6%), followed by spring (1095/1406, 77.9%), winter (768/992, 77.4%), and summer (944/1306, 72.3%), with HRV/EV and ADV being most commonly detected throughout the 4 years of study period. The detection rate of viral infection was highest among ARI patients presented with croup (123/141, 87.2%), followed by lower respiratory tract infection (1924/2356, 81.7%) and upper respiratory tract infection (1720/2383, 72.2%). FluA, FluB and ADV were positive factors for upper respiratory tract infections. On the other hand, infection with RSVA, RSVB, PIV3, PIV4, HMPV, and EV/RHV were positively associated with lower respiratory tract infections; and PIV1, PIV2, and PIV3 were positively associated with croup. Conclusions This is the first study in Macao to determine the viral etiology and epidemiology of pediatric patients hospitalized for ARIs. The study findings can contribute to the awareness of pathogen, appropriate preventative measure, accurate diagnosis, and proper clinical management of respiratory viral infections among children in Macao.


2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dahanayake Nilanthi ◽  
Yue-Sheng Yang

Echinacea purpurea (purple coneflower) is being used for the preparation of more than 240 extracts, salves, and tinctures to help cure diseases like rabies, cold, and upper respiratory infections. Hence, efforts were made to develop a culture medium for successful in vitro culturing of cornflower and to regenerate buds and induce roots to enable mass propagation of selected clones. Of the three levels of sucrose tested as a supplement to MS media (Murashige and Skoog’s medium, 1962) 3% showed better rooting of buds and appeared morphologically normal and identical as compared to those grown at higher and lower concentrations (2 and 4%). The additives hydrolyzed lactabumin (0.0, 100, 300, and 900 mgL−1), peptone (0.0, 100, 300, and 900 mgL−1), and yeast (0.0, 100, 300, and 900 mgL−1) to media containing 0.3 mgL−1 BA (6-benzyladenine) and 0.01 mgL−1 NAA (naphthaleneacetic acid-plant growth regulators) has negatively influenced proliferation of shoots. The higher concentrations of the above have delayed the development of plantlets. Shoot multiplication was enhanced by coconut water with 2% being the best among 4 and 8% tested. Shoot organogenesis was not influenced by copper sulphate (0, 1.5, 3, 6, and 12 mgL−1) and silver nitrate (0.0, 0.5, 2.5, and 12.5 mgL−1) supplements and at higher concentrations of the above inhibited plant growth.


PEDIATRICS ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 101 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 163-165 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott F. Dowell ◽  
S. Michael Marcy ◽  
William R. Phillips ◽  
Michael A. Gerber ◽  
Benjamin Schwartz

This article introduces a set of principles to define judicious antimicrobial use for five conditions that account for the majority of outpatient antimicrobial use in the United States. Data from the National Center for Health Statistics indicate that in recent years, approximately three fourths of all outpatient antibiotics have been prescribed for otitis media, sinusitis, bronchitis, pharyngitis, or nonspecific upper respiratory tract infection.1Antimicrobial drug use rates are highest for children1; therefore, the pediatric age group represents the focus for the present guidelines. The evidence-based principles presented here are focused on situations in which antimicrobial therapy could be curtailed without compromising patient care. They are not formulated as comprehensive management strategies. For most upper respiratory infections that require antimicrobial treatment, there are several appropriate oral agents from which to choose. Although the general principles of selecting narrow-spectrum agents with the fewest side effects and lowest cost are important, the principles that follow include few specific antibiotic selection recommendations.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 201-211
Author(s):  
İ.E. Emre ◽  
Y. Eroğlu ◽  
A. Kara ◽  
E.C. Dinleyici ◽  
M. Özen

Prevention of acute upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) is becoming an increasingly important concept in public health application due to the increase in antibiotic resistance. Probiotics have been shown to have some effect on prevention in various reviews. In this study we aimed to re-asses the effect of probiotics as there has been a substantial increase in literature regarding the effects and safety of probiotics in the paediatric population. Two major databases were systematically searched to identify clinical trials eligible for inclusion. Study selection, data extraction and quality assessment were carried out by two reviewers. This review comprises 33 randomised controlled trials (RCTs) applied to a paediatric population with high-quality methodology. The primary outcome for this review was the incidence of respiratory tract infections. Secondary outcomes were severity of symptoms, missed days of school, incidence of antibiotic use and safety of prebiotic use. This review showed that probiotics have an impact on decreasing the incidence of URTIs and the severity of symptoms. The use of probiotics is extremely safe and as studies increase in evaluation of the effect of probiotics more and more show a significant beneficiary effect. Although still a long way from becoming a unanimous treatment modality, the small positive changes that probiotics have on URTIs is important to consider and the use of probiotics should be encouraged more.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document