Postop Antibiotics May Be Unnecessary in Specific Mild Orofacial Infections

Background: Postoperative antibiotics are widely overused in today's society, and this is becoming a growing concern for the development of bacterial resistance. In the pediatric population, the risk of complications in oral infections may push the provider to prescribe antibiotics as a precaution as opposed to being a medical necessity. Objective: To determine whether postoperative antibiotics are necessary in pediatric patients hospitalized with minor orofacial infections and combined with surgical management. Design: Ambispective cohort study at the Baruch Padeh Medical Center in Israel from 2010 to 2019. Participants: Patients selected for this study had vestibular space odontogenic infections not extending to the perimandibular or periorbital spaces and requiring inpatient surgical intervention. Included patients also showed no signs of more severe infections, no compromised immune system, and no involvement of deep fascial spaces. Methods: The primary predictor variable was the more...