Antecedents of Bell stage III necrotizing enterocolitis.

OBJECTIVE

New biopharmaceuticals hold promise for preventing or treating necrotizing enterocolitis. However, it is unclear whether any such biopharmaceutical that requires enteral administration could be administered using an 'early-treatment' paradigm. This study was undertaken to assess this issue based on data from every case of Bell stage III NEC cared for during the past 7 years at Intermountain Healthcare.

STUDY DESIGN

Patients with Bell stage III NEC were identified from electronic medical record repositories and the diagnosis was validated using operative reports. Electronic and paper records of each patient were then used to identify potential clinical and laboratory antecedents occurring within the 48 h period preceding the diagnosis of NEC.

RESULT

One hundred eighteen patients had Stage III NEC. The earliest recognized antecedents were nonspecific for NEC (apnea/bradycardia, skin mottling and irritability). These were recorded at 2.8+/-2.1, 4.5+/-3.1 and 5.4+/-3.7 (mean+/-s.d.) hours, respectively, before NEC was diagnosed. The most commonly identified gastrointestinal antecedents were blood in the stools, increased abdominal girth and elevated pre-feeding gastric residuals or emesis. These were identified 2.0+/-1.9, 2.8+/-3.1 and 4.9+/-4.0 h before NEC was recognized. Thirty-eight percent had a blood transfusion (18+/-12 h) preceding the NEC. Tachycardia, tachypnea, hypotension and diarrhea were rarely identified as antecedents and no consistent laboratory antecedents were discovered.

CONCLUSION

We judge that an 'early treatment of NEC' paradigm testing any pharmacological agent that must be administered enterally is not feasible. The first recognized antecedents of Bell stage III NEC are nonspecific for gastrointestinal pathology and insufficient time exists for dosing between the first gastrointestinal signs and placement of the gastric decompression tube.