Patient selection: infant with necrotizing enterocolitis
Outcome: intestinal failure, defined as need for parenteral nutrition for >= 90 days
The occurrence for intestinal failure was 42% among infants undergoing surgery versus 2% for infants not undergoing surgery (OR 31.1).
Risk factors for intestinal failure:
(1) therapy with parenteral antibiotics on the day of NEC diagnosis (OR 16.6)
(2) mechanical ventilation on the day of NEC diagnosis (OR 6.2)
(3) birthweight < 750 grams (OR 9.1)
(4) enteral feeding before the diagnosis of NEC (4.1)
(5) percent of small bowel resected (1.85 per 10% bowel resected, or (1.85^((percent)/10))
where:
• The mean percent of small bowel resection was 14% in patients with intestinal failure (Table II).
