Hidaka H, Tarasawa K, Fujimori K, et al. - Using a nationwide database, researchers sought to examine the factors associated with mortality and delayed recovery of oral dietary intake in patients who underwent surgical drainage for deep neck infection, including descending necrotizing mediastinitis (DNM). Between 2012 and 2017, data on 4,949 patients were extracted from a Japanese inpatient database. By logistic regression analyses, only a few factors (advanced age, ventilation) were associated with both mortality and delayed oral dietary intake. In contrast, only delayed oral dietary intake was significantly related to several factors, including DNM and repeated surgery. Although DNM was not always associated with mortality, patients with DNM should be closely monitored to avoid delayed oral dietary intake.