Oral infections - a retrospective study of patients treated in the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery clinic of the Emergency County Clinical Hospital in Sibiu

Background and aims. The present study was carried out in the Department of Oral and Maxillo-Facial Surgery of the Sibiu County Emergency Clinical Hospital and aimed to evaluate the oral health status of patients who refer to this medical unit, identifying the presence and frequency of dental infections among these patients. The study also aimed to identify and characterize the comorbidities present in patients with these oral conditions. Finally, the study aims to highlight the degree of concern regarding the oral health status of patients and provide relevant information for dental health services and for the development of appropriate prevention and intervention strategies. Methods. The study was conducted retrospectively and descriptively, using the hospital’s electronic medical records. The total sample consisted of 1246 people, the inclusion criteria were: (a) patients admitted to the OMF Surgery Department; (b) outpatients who required hospitalization; (c) patients hospitalized under continuous hospitalization regime; (d) patients over 16 years of age; (e) patients diagnosed with infectious pathologies. After data registration, information on sex, background, distribution of diagnoses, associated pathologies of the patients and the existence of combined pathologies of the patients included in the study were taken into account. The duration of hospitalization of patients, the need and duration of antibiotic therapy, the frequency of use of combinations of antibiotics, and the number of antibiotics used in correlation with the duration of hospitalization were also analyzed. The data are presented as frequency and percentages. The combination of the most frequent associated pathologies was analyzed using an algorithm based on association rules and chord diagram was used for their visual representation. Statistical analyses were performed using IBM SPSS® (Statistical Package for the Social Science) version 20 and R software. Results. The total sample consisted of a total of 1246 people. From the preliminary analysis, the majority of people in the sample, 68.5%, did not suffer from infectious conditions, while 31.5% were affected. Most of the patients came from the urban environment (61.73%) and were male (54.34%). Frequent comorbidities included cardiac pathologies (11.99%) and diabetes (4.08%). These data indicate the poor state of oral health among patients who call on the OMF Surgery services. It is not an isolated case, but it reflects a pattern observed globally. Based on the results of the study, the hypothesis is validated that there is a poor state of oral health among the population, manifested by the increased incidence of dental infections. International studies confirm that dental infections are often complicated by the presence of comorbidities. Conclusion. The study concludes that patients hospitalized in the department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery face a poor oral health state, characterized by a high prevalence of dental infections. The presence of comorbidities and seasonal factors contribute to the aggravation of these infections. These results emphasize the need for preventive and educational interventions to improve the oral health of the population in this region, as well as the development of personalized treatment strategies.