Bacterial Infection in Head and Neck Space Regions: A Narrative Review

Head and neck infection (HNI) is more complicated, as most of the sites of infection in the head and neck regions are very complex. Bacterial head and neck infections can usually originate through the upper airway, sinusitis, and dental or oral cavity and then extend deeper into other head and neck compartment sites. Both aerobic and anaerobic bacteria induce bacterial head and neck infections. This narrative review discusses the bacterial association, sites of infection, host-pathogen interaction, and secondary complications of head and neck bacterial infection. Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella, Escherichia coli, Peptostreptococcus, Pseudomonas putida, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter, Citrobacter freundii, Streptococcus gordonii Enterobacter, Gemella haemolysans, Haemophilus influenzae, and Enterococcus, Fusobacterium are commonly responsible bacteria behind the bacterial head and neck infection (BHNI). Immunosuppression, alcohol consumption, and smoking risk factors are associated with it. The immune cell maintains a defense mechanism in host-pathogen interaction. Antibiotic-resistant genes in mucoid biofilm raise multidrug resistance activity against pathogenic bacteria. Inflammatory condition of the complete head and neck region can be demonstrated by computed tomography (CT) scan. The secondary complication may lead to induce cancer. Microbial invasions can be bacterial, fungal, or viral.