Introduction: The main risk factors of necrotising enterocolitis (NEC) are prematurity and low birth weight. The aim of our study was to identify risk factors for NEC in patients with duct-dependent congenital heart disease (CHD).
Study design: Newborns with duct-dependent CHD and NEC were matched 1:1 to those without NEC. Matched criteria were gestational age, birth weight, antenatal versus postnatal diagnosis and type of CHD.
Results: Twenty-three infants were included in each group. In the NEC group, mortality, length of intensive care unit stay and length of hospital stay were significantly higher (p=0.035; p<0.0001; p<0.0001). Lower diastolic blood pressure (DBP), negative flow balance, peritoneal dialysis and epinephrine-infusion were significantly associated with NEC (respectively, p=0.008, p=0.002, p=0.007, p=0.017). In multivariate analysis, DBP≤30 mm Hg remained the only independent risk factor of NEC (OR=8.70; 95% CI (1.46 to 53.50), p=0.019).
Conclusion: A DBP lower than 30 mm Hg was in our matched population of newborns with duct-dependent CHD, independently associated with NEC.
Keywords: Cardiology; Neonatology.
© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.