In addition to securing early control of the airway and culturing the patient and starting antibiotics, most experienced practitioners who treat this disease also obtain an urgent computed tomography (CT) with thin cuts should be obtained. The patient should not be sent to the CT suite unescorted by a physician with an uncontrolled airway.
Surgical incision and drainage (in the operating room if necessary) should be performed if there are any accessible fluid collections seen on CT. Definitive dental treatment must be undertaken if there before antibiotics can be stopped, if this was the underlying etiology.
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