Impact of Intravenous Drug Use on Neck Abscess Outcomes: 30-Day Readmission & 5-Year Survival Rates

Authors

Elliott Sina, Thomas Jefferson UniversityFollow
Bryce Hambach, Thomas Jefferson UniversityFollow
Eric Mastrolonardo, Thomas Jefferson UniversityFollow
Sruti Tekumalla, Thomas Jefferson UniversityFollow
Meghan Crippen, Thomas Jefferson UniversityFollow
Richard A. Goldman, Thomas Jefferson UniversityFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

12-1-2025

Comments

This article is the author’s final published version in American Journal of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Medicine and Surgery, Volume 47, Issue 1, 2026, Article number 104754.

The published version is available at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amjoto.2025.104754. Copyright © 2025 Published by Elsevier Inc.

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: Injection drug use (IDU) is a known risk factor for neck abscesses, often requiring urgent surgical intervention by acute-care Otolaryngologists. However, data on the prevalence and long-term outcomes of IDU-related neck abscesses are limited. This study investigates differences in 30-day readmission rates and 5-year all-cause mortality between patients with and without a history of IDU hospitalized for neck abscesses.

METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort study utilizing the TriNetX national clinical database. Patients hospitalized for neck abscesses (ICD-10: L02.11) were categorized into two cohorts: IDU (current/previous) and non-IDU. Demographics, 30-day readmission rates, and 5-year survival were analyzed. 1:1 Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to adjust for 15 covariates known to be associated with IDU-related neck abscesses, and a two-sample t-test was applied. Kaplan-Meier analysis was performed to assess 5-year survival.

RESULTS: In a cohort of 32,655 patients (mean age: 54.7, 58.4 % female), PSM resulted in 2410 patients per cohort. IDU patients had higher 30-day readmission rates than controls (10.2 % vs 7.81 %; OR: 1.32; 95 % CI: 1.10-1.62; p = 0.0061) and lower 5-year survival (77.2 % vs 81.8 %; HR: 1.21).

CONCLUSION: Patients admitted for IDU-related neck abscesses have significantly higher 30-day readmission rates and decreased 5-year survival compared to non-IDU patients. These findings underscore the critical need for early detection and intervention by Otolaryngologists in this vulnerable population.

Recommended Citation

Sina, Elliott; Hambach, Bryce; Mastrolonardo, Eric; Tekumalla, Sruti; Crippen, Meghan; and Goldman, Richard A., "Impact of Intravenous Drug Use on Neck Abscess Outcomes: 30-Day Readmission & 5-Year Survival Rates" (2025). Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery Faculty Papers. Paper 104.
https://jdc.jefferson.edu/otofp/104

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.

PubMed ID

41385928

Language

English