Inflammatory Markers as Predictors for Prolonged Duration of Hospitalization in Maxillofacial Infections

Despite the progress made in diagnosing and treating maxillofacial infections, the course of infection can be unpredictable, leading to severe complications, prolonged hospitalization, and substantial financial costs to health care services. It is important to determine whether various serum inflammatory marker levels on admission may predict a prolonged hospital stay in these patients. To analyze the role of CRP, white blood cell count (WBC), and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in predicting the prolonged duration of hospitalization in maxillofacial infections, we performed a retrospective study by collecting paper records data from 108 patients who met our inclusion criteria. The patients were divided into two groups according to the duration of hospitalization (group A < 5 days and group B ≥ 5 days). The predictor variables were CRP, WBC, and NLR, and the outcome variable was the duration of hospitalization. This study confirmed a positive linear correlation (p < 0.001) between the predictors and the outcome variable. The optimal cut-off values for WBC are 11,030 white blood cells/μL and 63 mg/L for CRP. Levels that exceed these optimal values predict a duration of hospitalization of over (≥) 5 days. Serum WBC and CRP on admission may predict the duration of hospitalization in patients with MFI.