الفهرس 
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Abstract
CFI is one of the most commonly occurring head and neck pathologies. It a public health concern with regard to dental diseases and orofacial trauma and can be a life-threatening condition. Management of CFI represents a challenge that faces maxillofacial surgeons, with no consistent widely implied management protocols and many factors affecting the outcome of this management.
While many studies investigated prevalence, symptomatology, associated risk factors, types and treatment modalities for CFI, our scope of interest was factors governing outcome of CFI management. Accordingly, post intervention patients’ recovery was chosen to be the primary outcome of the study.
Detailed history was taken and complete physical examination was conducted to every patient. Patients’ vital signs at time of admission were recorded. All patients were subjected to routine laboratory investigations in addition to culture and sensitivity, and the appropriate radiological evaluation was done for each of them. Data of intervention (either conservative or operative) were also recorded. All patients received empirical antibiotic therapy, which was modified according to results of culture and sensitivity.
Recorded Post-operative patients’ data included duration of recovery, length of hospital stay and development of complications such as acquiring a nosocomial infection, recurrence, ICU admission and death. All patients were followed up for one month following their discharge.
While 19 of our patients (54.29 %) recovered without complications, 16 (45.71%) patients had delayed (34%) or complicated (12%) recovery. One of them (55 year- old female patient known to be diabetic and hypertensive) died 3 weeks after operative intervention and admission to ICU with diabetic coma.
Many assessed parameters in our study were founded to be significant risk factors for complicated recovery following CFI management. Among them, Diabetes
seems to be the most important single one. Elevated random blood sugar and metabolic acidosis are another 2 important factors. Patients’ bad general condition at time of admission was also found to negatively correlate with post intervention recovery. Patients with uncontrolled diabetes affecting their general health are- therefore- a high risk group that need to be managed meticulously and properly when presented with CFI.
Other possible risk factors are: severity of symptoms at time of presentation, bilateral or multi- space involvement, leukocytosis, anemia and poly- microbial culture. Although none of those factors reached a statistical significance, they were reported by other studies and hence worth to be mentioned.
In conclusion, this study investigated factors governing outcome of CFI management, adopting post intervention patients’ recovery as a primary outcome. Diabetes, bad general condition, impaired laboratory parameters including an elevated blood sugar level and metabolic acidosis at time of admission were found to be significant risk factors for development of post intervention complications and/ or delayed recovery so according to these findings, we recommend to consider patients with uncontrolled diabetes affecting their general health a high-risk group that need to be managed meticulously and properly when presented with CFI.