Drainage of Cervico-Facial Cellulitis under Local Anaesthesia in a Resource-Limited Centre: A 3-Year Descriptive Study

Introduction: The standard treatment combines antibiotic therapy and early surgical drainage, ideally under general anaesthesia. However, in certain constrained contexts, drainage is performed under local anaesthesia. Objective: To describe the clinical, therapeutic and evolutionary characteristics of cervico-facial cellulitis drained under local anaesthesia. Materials and Methods: This is a descriptive cross-sectional study with retrospective data collection, conducted in the Stomatology and Maxillofacial Surgery Department of the Brazzaville University Hospital over a three-year period, from January 2021 to December 2023, on cervico-facial cellulitis under local anaesthesia. Results: 140 patients underwent local anaesthesia. The average age was 31.8 ± 1.5 years, with a predominance of males. The types of anaesthesia used were: local anaesthesia with reinforced lidocaine and adrenaline (57.9%) and local anaesthesia alone in 42.1% of cases. Significant intraoperative pain was reported in 72.1% of cases. Etiological dental treatment was delayed by an average of 6 days. Conclusion: Drainage of cervico-facial cellulitis under local anaesthesia is an alternative imposed by resource constraints. Although it allows initial control of the infection, this approach is accompanied by imperfect analgesia, limited surgical intervention and prolonged post-operative effects.