Johns Hopkins ABX Guide
Deep neck infections
PATHOGENS
This is typically due to oral flora and others (especially if receiving antibiotics recently or hospitalized).
- Anaerobic bacteria:
- Peptostreptococcus, Bacteroides spp., Fusobacterium spp.(Lemierre’s syndrome), Porphyromonas spp.
- Actinomyces (see Actinomycosis module for details) is facultatively anaerobic.
- Aerobes:
- Streptococcus species, including S. intermedius (complex)
- S. aureus, including MRSA
- Gam-negative bacilli, now found with increasing frequency
- Compromised hosts:
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Last updated: July 8, 2023
Citation
Auwaerter, Paul G. "Deep Neck Infections." Johns Hopkins ABX Guide, The Johns Hopkins University, 2023. Pediatrics Central, peds.unboundmedicine.com/pedscentral/view/Johns_Hopkins_ABX_Guide/540111/all/Deep_neck_infections.
Auwaerter PG. Deep neck infections. Johns Hopkins ABX Guide. The Johns Hopkins University; 2023. https://peds.unboundmedicine.com/pedscentral/view/Johns_Hopkins_ABX_Guide/540111/all/Deep_neck_infections. Accessed May 17, 2025.
Auwaerter, P. G. (2023). Deep neck infections. In Johns Hopkins ABX Guide. The Johns Hopkins University. https://peds.unboundmedicine.com/pedscentral/view/Johns_Hopkins_ABX_Guide/540111/all/Deep_neck_infections
Auwaerter PG. Deep Neck Infections [Internet]. In: Johns Hopkins ABX Guide. The Johns Hopkins University; 2023. [cited 2025 May 17]. Available from: https://peds.unboundmedicine.com/pedscentral/view/Johns_Hopkins_ABX_Guide/540111/all/Deep_neck_infections.
* Article titles in AMA citation format should be in sentence-case
TY - ELEC
T1 - Deep neck infections
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A1 - Auwaerter,Paul,M.D.
Y1 - 2023/07/08/
BT - Johns Hopkins ABX Guide
UR - https://peds.unboundmedicine.com/pedscentral/view/Johns_Hopkins_ABX_Guide/540111/all/Deep_neck_infections
PB - The Johns Hopkins University
DB - Pediatrics Central
DP - Unbound Medicine
ER -
