Oral and maxillofacial surgeryIncidence and impact of adverse effects of medical care on complications in patients who underwent excision of cervical lymph nodes

ObjectiveTo determine the prevalence and impact of adverse effects of medical care in patients who underwent excision of cervical lymph nodes.Study DesignData from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample for the years 2009 and 2010 were used. The outcome variables were complications. The independent variables were occurrence of adverse effects of medical care and adverse effects of drugs/medication used in therapeutic use during hospitalization.ResultsA total of 48 413 hospitalizations involved excision of cervical lymph nodes. The mean age was 59 years. Males constituted 64.2% of hospitalizations. Adverse effects of medical care occurred in 9.5% of hospitalizations, and adverse effects due to therapeutic use of medications occurred in 1.8%. Frequently occurring complications included postoperative pneumonia (4.2%), hemorrhagic complications (3.5%), other infections (1.7%), cardiac complications (1.5%), bacterial infections (1.5%), respiratory complications (1.4%), nonhealing wounds (1.3%), septicemia (1.2%), and mycoses (1.2%).ConclusionsOccurrence of adverse effects of medical care was associated with high odds for multiple complications.