Microbiology Studies of Acute Head and Neck Infections

Identifying the Microorganisms Responsible for Acute Head and Neck Infections.

Status

Enrolling by invitation

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Observational

Source

ClinicalTrials.gov

Registry ID

NCT05874908

Enrollment

150

Registered

2023-05-25

Start date

2025-03-03

Completion date

2026-04-19

Last updated

2025-02-28

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Head and Neck Infection

Brief summary

Acute head and neck infections cause significant pain and discomfort for patients and impact on their quality of life. Effective antibiotic and surgical treatments have been developed for these infections but they are still able to develop into life-threatening diseases such as meningitis and sepsis. The direct cause of acute head and neck infections is often unknown but it has been suggested that they are due to a disturbance of the normal bacterial growing in the mouth or are from dental origin. The most common microorganisms identified from these infections in published studies are a group of bacteria known as viridans group streptococci (VGS). There are over 30 individual species of bacteria in the viridans group and VGS are difficult to identify to the level of a single species because of their variability. There is a lack of species identification within the hospital setting and this project aims to gain a deeper understanding of the microorganisms causing acute head and neck infections, focusing on identification of individual species of VGS bacteria. The investigators will analyse bacterial DNA to determine which species have been identified and will also look at patient data and clinical outcomes (eg. length of hospital stay) to determine if the species causing the infection has any effect on patients.

Interventions

None listed

Study design

Observational model

COHORT

Time perspective

PROSPECTIVE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

ALL

Age

18 Years to No maximum

Healthy volunteers

Inclusion criteria

* Over the age of 18 * Suffering with acute head and neck infection of Streptococci. * Samples must come from Northampton General Hospital. * Consent to participate in research with at least 24 hours of consideration.

Exclusion criteria

* Age \<18 years. * Samples from other National Health Service (NHS) hospitals. * Infections from other areas of the body. * Infection identified as caused by non-streptococcal bacteria. * Chosen not to participate in research.

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame	Description
Identification of Streptococci Species	4 years	Identification by DNA analysis of ribosomal ribonucleic acid (rRNA) genes and biochemical testing.

Secondary

Measure	Time frame	Description
Patient Characteristics	4 Years	Age in years. All measurements will be combined to determine common traits in acute head and neck infections.
Clinical Outcomes	4 Years	Length of hospital stay in days. All measurements will be combined to determine common traits in acute head and neck infections.

Countries

United Kingdom

Outcome results