Admission C-reactive protein, WBC count, glucose, and body temperature in severe odontogenic infections: a retrospective study using severity scores

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine whether various serum marker levels (C-reactive protein [CRP], white blood cell [WBC] count, glucose) or body temperature at admission are associated with severity of odontogenic infections. Study Design: This retrospective chart review of patients admitted to the hospital for treatment of severe odontogenic infections (SOIs) over a 5-year period (2016–2020) assigned patients with a severity score (SS) ≥5 to group A and those with an SS <5 to group B. Serum marker levels and temperature at admission were collected, and comparisons between group A and group B were conducted for serum marker levels and body temperature at admission using 2-sample t tests. Results: The mean serum CRP and temperature at admission between the 2 groups was not statistically significant (P >.05). The mean WBC count and serum glucose at admission between the 2 groups was statistically significant (P =.001 and P =.036, respectively). Conclusions: This study demonstrates that serum glucose and WBC at admission are significantly higher in patients with more SOIs. In addition, serum CRP and body temperature at admission are not adequate prognostic indicators of odontogenic infection severity.