Low serum albumin concentration predicts the need for surgical intervention in neonates with necrotizing enterocolitis

Methods of identifying surgical Necrotizing Enterocolitis-a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Current data suggests potential benefit of earlier surgery for necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) however this requires accurate prognostication early in the disease course. This study aims to identify and determine the effectiveness of previously reported methods or tests for the identification of surgical NEC.

METHODS

Systematic review and meta-analysis with registration on PROSPERO including articles describing a method of identifying surgical NEC. Outcomes of interest were effectiveness and repeatability of index test.

RESULTS

Of the 190 full-text articles screened, 90 studies were included which contained 114 methods of identifying surgical NEC in 9546 infants. Of these methods, 44 were a scoring system, 37 a single biomarker, 24 an imaging method, and 9 an invasive method. Sensitivity and specificity ranged from 12.8-100% to 13-100%, respectively. Some methods (9.6%) provided insufficient methods for repeatability within clinical practice or research. Meta-analyses were possible for only 2 methods, the metabolic derangement 7 score and abdominal ultrasound.

CONCLUSIONS

A range of methods for identifying surgical NEC have been identified with varying overall performance and uncertainties about reproducibility and superiority of any method. External validation in large multicentre datasets should allow direct comparison of accuracy and prospective study should evaluate impact on clinical outcomes.

IMPACT

Earlier identification of need for surgery in necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) has the potential to improve the unfavourable outcomes in this condition. As such, many methods have been developed and reported to allow earlier identification of surgical NEC. This study is the first synthesis of the literature which identifies previously reported methods and the effectiveness of these. Many methods, including scoring systems and biomarkers, appear effective for prognostication in NEC and external validation is now required in multicentre datasets prior to clinical utility.

Use of Albumin in the NICU: An Evidence-based Review

Albumin is the most abundant protein in human blood with distinctive functions throughout the human body. Low albumin levels are a predictor of mortality as well as disease outcome in children and adults. However, the clinical significance of hypoalbuminemia and the role of albumin infusions in NICUs remain unclear and controversial.

Application of coagulation parameters at the time of necrotizing enterocolitis diagnosis in surgical intervention and prognosis

Purpose

It has been shown that abnormalities of coagulation and fibrinolysis system are involved in the pathogenesis of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), but not well studied challenge in the context of early detection of disease progression. The present study mainly explores the predictive significance of coagulation parameters at the time of NEC diagnosis in identifying the patients who eventually received surgery and/or NEC-related deaths.

Methods

The retrospective study of 114 neonates with NEC was conducted with assessments of demographic data, laboratory results at the time of NEC diagnosis, treatment methods and prognosis. According to treatment methods, patients were divided into surgical intervention group and medical treatment group. Predictive factors were put forward and determined by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. An analysis of the surgical intervention and prognosis was performed.

Results

Of 114 patients, 46 (40.4%) cases received surgical intervention and 14 (12.3%) deaths. prothrombin time (PT), PT international normalized ratio, activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), fibrinogen and platelet count at the time of NEC diagnosis were independently associated with surgical NEC. The APTT could identify patients at high risk for surgical NEC, with 67.39% sensitivity, 86.76% specificity, better than that of other serological parameters. Coagulopathy was found in 38.6% of all patients. For surgical intervention, the area under the ROC curve (AUC) of coagulopathy was 0.869 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.794 ~ 0.944, P < 0.001), with 82.61% sensitivity and 91.18% specificity, outperformed APTT (95% CI: 0.236 ~ 0.173, P = 0.001). Furthermore, the AUC for coagulopathy to predict mortality was 0.809 (95% CI: 0.725 ~ 0.877, P < 0.001), with 92.86% sensitivity and 69.0% specificity.

Conclusion

Coagulation parameters at the time of NEC diagnosis were conducive to early prediction of surgical NEC and -related deaths, which should be closely monitored in neonates at high risk of NEC and validated as a clinical decision-making tool.

Correlation of systemic immune-inflammation Index with surgical necrotizing enterocolitis

BACKGROUND

Systemic Immune-Inflammation Index (SII), known as an easy, economical and useful marker, correlates with the severity of inflammatory response. However, the usefulness of SII in necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) remains unclear. Therefore, we evaluated the correlation of SII at NEC diagnosis and subsequent surgery.

METHODS

Retrospective review of 131 neonates with NEC in a tertiary-level pediatric referral hospital was conducted with assessments of demographic data, general blood examination results at NEC diagnosis, treatment strategies and clinical outcomes. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve determined the optimal cut-off values of SII, platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio. Univariate/multivariate logistic regression analysis and ROC curve were conducted to evaluate the predictive significance of SII in identifying the patients who eventually received surgery. Additionally, NEC-related deaths were assessed.

RESULTS

Overall, 49 (37.4%) cases received surgical intervention and mortality was 12.3% (14/131). The area under ROC curve of SII at NEC diagnosis to predict subsequent surgery was 0.833 (optimal cut-off value: 235.85). The SII value in surgical intervention group was significantly higher than that in medical treatment group (332.92 ± 158.52 vs. 158.84 ± 106.82, P < 0.001). Independent influencing factors for surgical NEC were SII (95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.568∼36.449, odds ratio [OR]:12.904, P < 0.001) and PLR (95% CI: 1.071∼7.356, OR:2.807, P = 0.036). SII ≤ 235.85 could identify patients at high risk for surgery, with 87.76% sensitivity, 73.17% specificity, outperformed PLR. Furthermore, mortality was significantly higher in patients with SII ≤ 235.85 than those with SII > 235.85 (20.0% vs. 1.5%, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

SII and PLR at NEC diagnosis were independent influencing factors for subsequent surgery. SII ≤ 235.85 may be a useful predictive marker for the identification of surgical NEC and mortality.