The COVID-19 period influence on pediatric deep neck abscess: Occurrences and clinical presentation

Objective: The purpose of the study was to investigate the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on the incidence of deep neck infections (DNIs) in pediatric patients. In addition, it describes the clinical, laboratory, and microbiology presentation as well as the clinical outcomes. Study design: Retrospective cohort study. Settings: A single tertiary medical center. Methods: All patients ≤18 years with a diagnosis of DNI, between the years 2010–2022, were included in the study and the yearly incidence of DNI was calculated. Patients were divided according to their diagnosis of retropharyngeal abscesses (RPAs) and parapharyngeal abscesses (PPAs), and according to age; Group 1 (aged 0 to ≤4 years) and Group 2 (aged>4 to ≤18 years). Results: A total of 46 cases of DNIs; 24 were RPAs and 22 were PPAs, age group 1 had 20 patients, and age group 2 had 26 patients. The overall DNI incidence during 2010 was 0.81 and declined in 2020 (COVID-19 pandemic period) to 0.33, followed by a surge in the incidence of 4.85 in 2022 (post-COVID-19 period). In age group 1 RPAs were more dominant (70 %) while PPAs were dominant (61.5 %) in group 2. (p = 0.034). A higher prevalence of positive cultures was seen in the RPA group compared to the PPA group (75 % vs 33 %, p = 0.025, respectively), and in age group 1 compared to age group 2 (77 % vs 30 %, p = 0.001, respectively). Conclusion: In conclusion, our study provides valuable insights about the disease and vulnerable communities. In addition, we showed a decrease during the COVID-19 pandemic followed by an increase in DNI incidence post-COVID-19 pandemic era. A larger comprehensive prospective study is warranted to gain a deeper understanding of these trends and their underlying causes.