Clinical outcomes and gestational age based prediction of pneumatosis intestinalis in preterm infants with necrotizing enterocolitis.

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2022

Identifier

DOI: 10.3233/NPM-210971

Abstract

BACKGROUND: To determine the clinical implications and gestation age-specific diagnostic predictability of pneumatosis in preterm infants with necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC).

METHODS: A retrospective study on abdominal radiographs comparing clinical and radiological information in infants with and without pneumatosis.

RESULT: Our findings disproved our hypothesis. Pneumatosis was seen more frequently in infants with higher gestational age [28.4 (26.1-32.4) vs. 26.4 (24.3-29) weeks; p < 0.001] and birth weight [1110 (762-1768) vs. 770 (645-1022) grams; p < 0.001] and were more likely delivered vaginally (39.1% vs. 21.7%, p = 0.01). Portal venous gas was seen frequently on radiographs (10.3% vs. 0%, p < 0.001), but not pneumoperitoneum (20.7% vs. 36.7%, p = 0.02). Infants with pneumatosis frequently developed acute kidney injury, with higher serum creatinine (16.5% vs. 4.5%, p = 0.02) and frequent oliguria (12.9% vs. 2.7 %; p = 0.043) and had higher C-reactive protein levels at 24 and 96 hours (p < 0.002). Receiver operating curves for pneumatosis showed GA >28 weeks and birth weight > 1000 gm to have a sensitivity of 58.6% and specificity of 72.5%.

CONCLUSION: Contrary to our hypothesis, infants who developed pneumatosis during NEC were more mature with a higher gestational age and birth weight than those who did not.

Journal Title

J Neonatal Perinatal Med

Volume

15

Issue

4

First Page

803

Last Page

812

MeSH Keywords

Infant; Female; Infant, Newborn; Humans; Infant, Premature; Gestational Age; Enterocolitis, Necrotizing; Birth Weight; Retrospective Studies; Infant, Newborn, Diseases; Fetal Diseases

Keywords

Clinical outcomes; necrotizing enterocolitis; pneumatosis; preterm infant

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