Allen D M, Buehler J W, Samuels B N, Brann A W
Division of Reproductive Health, Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, Ga.
JAMA. 1989;261(12):1763-6.
Although neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) have contributed to advances in neonatal survival, little is known about the epidemiology of deaths that occur after NICU discharge. To determine mortality rates following NICU discharge, we used linked birth, death, and NICU records for infants born to Georgia residents from 1980 through 1982 and who were admitted to NICUs participating in the state's perinatal care network. Infants who died after discharge (n = 120) had a median duration of NICU hospitalization of 20 days (range, 1 to 148 days) and a median birth weight of 1983 g (range, 793 to 5159 g). The postdischarge mortality rate was 22.7 per 1000 NICU discharges. This rate is more than five times the overall postneonatal mortality rate for Georgia from 1980 to 1982. The most common causes of death were congenital heart disease (23%), sudden infant death syndrome (21%), and infection (13%). Demographic characteristics commonly associated with infant mortality were not strongly associated with the mortality following NICU discharge.
尽管新生儿重症监护病房（NICU）推动了新生儿存活率的提高，但对于NICU出院后发生的死亡的流行病学情况却知之甚少。为了确定NICU出院后的死亡率，我们使用了1980年至1982年出生于佐治亚州居民且入住参与该州围产期护理网络的NICU的婴儿的出生、死亡和NICU记录的关联数据。出院后死亡的婴儿（n = 120）在NICU住院的中位时长为20天（范围为1至148天），中位出生体重为1983克（范围为793至5159克）。出院后死亡率为每1000例NICU出院22.7例。该比率是1980年至1982年佐治亚州总体新生儿后期死亡率的五倍多。最常见的死亡原因是先天性心脏病（23%）、婴儿猝死综合征（21%）和感染（13%）。通常与婴儿死亡率相关的人口统计学特征与NICU出院后的死亡率没有密切关联。
