Predictors of length of stay following maxillofacial abscess surgery: A 10-year retrospective cohort

The aim of this study was to identify predictors of length of stay (LOS) after surgical therapy of maxillofacial abscess. Patients diagnosed with a maxillofacial abscess who underwent extraoral incision and drainage under general anesthesia between January 1st, 2012 and January 1st, 2022 were retrospectively reviewed Univariable and multivariable linear regressions were performed to identify the association between pre- and perioperative variables and the LOS. In total, 228 patients were included. In the forward stepwise multivariable analysis, all factors with a p-value <0.2 in the univariable model were included. Ultimately, six independent predictors of increased LOS were identified: female (coef. 0.14, 95% CI 0.03–0.25), immunosuppression (coef. 0.37, 95%CI 0.13–0.61), penicillin allergy (coef. 0.25, 95% CI 0.04–0.46), C-reactive protein (coef. 0.0008, 95% CI 0.0001–0.0014), multiple spaces involvement (coef. 0.36, 95% CI 0.13–0.59), and time to operation (coef. 0.005, 95% CI 0.002–0.008). In conclusion, our study provides new insights into predicting LOS for patients admitted with maxillofacial abscesses. The identification of these markers not only enhances the ability to forecast LOS, but also lays the groundwork for optimizing resource planning and potentially integrating them into a primary prevention algorithm.