RESUMO
Objective@#To investigate the clinical characteristics, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of descending necrotizing mediastinitis (DNM) to provide a reference for the early diagnosis and timely treatment of DNM.@*Methods@#Data on DNM in China was electronically retrieved from the core databases and comprehensively reviewed from June 2012 to June 2023. The infection, pathogenic microorganisms, main symptoms, comorbidities and treatment methods of DNM were analyzed.@*Results@#The data of a total of 781 DNM patients, with an average age of (52.97 ± 5.64) years, were retrieved, including 554 males and 227 females. Odontogenic source, tonsillitis, pharyngeal abscess, sialoadenitis, upper respiratory tract infection, foreign body injury, or iatrogenic traumatic procedures are common causes. Among these, odontogenic infection is the most common source. Streptococcus sp. (n = 217) and Staphylococcus sp. (n = 82) were most isolated, followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (equally n = 59). A total of 69.4% (542/781) of DNM patients recruited in this study were discovered to have various comorbidities, and more than one-third of these patients (n = 185) had diabetes. Of the broad antibiotics, carbapenem was most frequently used as treatment, and vancomycin was the most frequently coadministered. The mediastinal drainage approach varies widely, and the optimal regimen is still unknown. Seventy-two patients were treated with video-assisted thoracoscopic/mediastinoscopic surgical drainage, 22 patients were treated with percutaneous catheter drainage, 30 underwent the transcervical approach, and 40 underwent thoracotomy. A total of 617 patients who were selected underwent the appropriate combined operation for surgical drainage according to the specific location of the infected focus. The overall mortality rate of all 781 DNM patients included was 11.2%.@*Conclusion@#The most effective diagnosis and treatment of DNM is a high degree of clinical vigilance followed by prompt and adequate drainage with intensive care, including hemodynamic monitoring, nutritional support, computer tomographic scanning repeated as necessary, and combined use of systemic antibiotics.
RESUMO
Objective@# A retrospective analysis aimed to identify the clinical features of patients with descending necrotizing mediastinitis (DNM) to improve the effects of treatment and prognosis.@*Methods@#The clinical data of 59 patients with DNM who were treated in the Department of Oncology of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery of the Affiliated Stomatology Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University and transferred to the intensive care unit (ICU) were retrospectively analyzed from March 2010 to March 2020. Statistical analysis was performed to identify the risk factors that were associated with mortality.@*Results @# A total of 59 patients were identified: 21 cases of DNM typeⅠ (35.6%), 19 cases of DNM typeⅡA (32.2%), and 19 cases of DNM type ⅡB (32.2%). All patients with DNM received emergency surgery. Patients with typeⅠ and ⅡA underwent anterior mediastinal xiphoid incision and drainage combined with thoracic drainage. The thoracic mediastinum was completely debrided, and postoperative drainage was performed in type ⅡB patients. Pus samples from all 59 DNM patients were cultured for bacteria, and 19 of them were positive. Systemic antiinflammatory therapy was administered. Five patients died (8.5%), and 54 patients survived (91.5%). Compared with the survival group, the mortality group had a higher proportion of patients aged ≥ 65 years, with diabetes, with an interval from admission to ICU ≥ 6 days, with an APACHE Ⅱ score ≥ 20 days, with a duration of ICU treatment ≥ 10 days, and with septic shock, with statistically significant differences (P < 0.05). @*Conclusions@#Timely transfer to the intensive care unit for treatment combined with early active surgery and timely treatment of systemic diseases and systemic antimicrobial therapy is the key to reducing DNM mortality.