A Pilot Study on Neonatal Surgical Mortality: A Multivariable Analysis of Predictors of Mortality in a Resource-Limited Setting

Postoperative outcome of neonatal emergency surgeries in a tertiary care institute-A prospective observational study

AIMS

Neonatal surgical mortality continues to be high in developing countries. A better understanding of perioperative events and optimization of causative factors can help in achieving a favorable outcome. The present study was designed to evaluate the perioperative course of surgical neonates and find out potential factors contributing to postoperative mortality.

METHODS

This prospective observational study enrolled neonates, undergoing emergency surgical procedures in a tertiary care institute. Primary outcome was 6 weeks postsurgical mortality. The babies were observed till discharge and subsequently followed up telephonically for 6 weeks after surgery. Multivariable logistic regression analysis of various parameters was performed.

RESULTS

Out of the 324 neonates who met inclusion criteria, 278 could be enrolled. The median age was 4 days. Sixty-two (27.7%) neonates were born before 37 weeks period of gestation (POG), and 94 (41.8%) neonates weighed below 2.5 kg. The most common diagnoses was trachea-esophageal fistula (29.9%) and anorectal malformation (14.3%). The median duration of hospital stay for survivors was 14 days. The in-hospital mortality was 34.8%. Mortality at 6 weeks following surgery was 36.2%. Five independent risk factors identified were POG < 34 weeks, preoperative oxygen therapy, postoperative inotropic support postoperative mechanical ventilation, and postoperative leukopenia. In neonates where invasive ventilation was followed by non-invasive positive pressure ventilation in the postoperative period, risk of postoperative surgical mortality was significantly reduced.

CONCLUSION

Present study identified preterm birth, preoperative oxygen therapy, postoperative positive pressure ventilation, requirement of inotropes, and postoperative leukopenia as independent predictors of 6-week mortality. The possibility of early switch to noninvasive positive pressure ventilation was associated with a reduction in neonatal mortality.

Population-based prevalence study of common congenital malformations of the alimentary tract and abdominal wall in Thailand: a study using data from the National Health Security Office

Background

The study aimed to estimate the prevalence of major congenital anomalies of the alimentary system and the abdominal wall in Thailand using a nationwide hospital discharge database from the National Health Security Office (2017-2020).

Methods

The study extracted data from records with International Classification of Diseases-10 (ICD-10) codes related to esophageal malformation (ESO), congenital duodenal obstruction (CDO), jejunoileal atresia (INTES), Hirschsprung's disease (HSCR), anorectal malformation (ARM), abdominal wall defects (omphalocele (OMP) and gastroschisis (GAS)), and diaphragmatic hernia from the database with patient age selection set to less than 1 year.

Results

A total of 2539 matched ICD-10 records were found in 2376 individuals over the 4-year study period. Concerning foregut anomalies, the prevalence of ESO was 0.88/10 000 births, while that of CDO was 0.54/10 000 births. The prevalence figures of INTES, HSCR, and ARM were 0.44, 4.69, and 2.57 cases per 10 000 births, respectively. For abdominal wall defects, the prevalences of OMP and GAS were 0.25 and 0.61 cases/10 000 births, respectively. The mortality in our cases was 7.1%, and survival analysis found that associated cardiac defects had a statistically significant influence on survival in most anomalies studied. In HSCR, both Down syndrome (DS) (hazard ratio (HR)=7.57, 95% confidence interval (CI)=4.12 to 13.91, p<0.001) and cardiac defects (HR=5.82, 95% CI=2.85 to 11.92, p<0.001) were significantly associated with poorer survival outcomes. However, only DS (adjusted HR=5.55, 95% CI=2.63 to 11.75, p<0.001) independently predicted worse outcomes by multivariable analysis.

Conclusions

Our analysis of the hospital discharge database found that the prevalence of gastrointestinal anomalies in Thailand was lower than that reported in other countries, except for HSCR and anorectal malformations. Associated Down syndrome and cardiac defects influence the survival outcomes of these anomalies.

The Utility of Serial Echocardiography Parameters in Management of Newborns with Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH) and Predictors of Mortality

Ventricular dysfunction may be found in 40% of newborns with CDH, and is not only a predictor of disease severity, but also mortality and need for ECMO. We conducted this study to assess the utility of serial echocardiography in management of newborns with CDH and their survival outcomes. This is a retrospective study, wherein the demographic, clinical and echocardiographic data from our local CDH registry and hospital clinical database were analyzed to study the correlation of timed echocardiographic findings with mortality and other outcomes. Fourty-two newborns with CDH were admitted during the study period (M/F:19/23), with median gestation of 38 weeks (IQR:36-39) and birth weight of 2.83 kg (IQR 2.45-3.17). Thirty-one were left-sided, seven right, one central, and three bilateral hernias. Twelve infants (28%) died in early infancy. Three infants were excluded from analysis due to either palliation at birth or significant cardiac anomaly. A total of 137 echos from 39 infants were analyzed. Seventy percent of newborns who died and had an echo within the first 72 h, were noted to have suffered from moderate to severe PH. Birth weight < 2.8 kg, RVSP > 45.5 in the first 72 h and postoperative VIS > 23.5 and RSS > 4.3 were good predictors of mortality. Markers of elevated pulmonary pressures and cardiac function were useful in guiding therapy. Serial timed functional echocardiography (f-Echo) monitoring allows targeted therapy of patients with CDH. Birth weight, initial severity of pulmonary hypertension and postoperative RSS and VIS may be useful in predicting mortality.

Acute kidney injury post-abdominal surgery in infants: implications for prevention and management

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is common in critically ill infants and is associated with long-term sequelae including hypertension and chronic kidney disease. The etiology of AKI in infants is multifactorial. There is robust literature highlighting the risk of AKI after cardiothoracic surgery in infants. However, risk factors and outcomes for AKI in infants after abdominal surgery remains limited. This article reviews the epidemiology and association of abdominal surgery with postoperative AKI and suggests methods for AKI management and prevention. Postoperative AKI may result from hemodynamic shifts, hypoxia, exposure to nephrotoxic medications, and inflammation. Infants in the intensive care unit after intraabdominal surgeries have a unique set of risk factors that predispose them to AKI development. Prematurity, sepsis, prolonged operation time, emergent nature of the procedure, and diagnosis of necrotizing enterocolitis increase risk of AKI after intrabdominal surgeries. Prevention, early diagnosis, and management of AKI post-abdominal surgery is imperative to clinical practice. Close monitoring of urine output, serum creatinine, and fluid status is necessary in infants after abdominal surgery. A recent study suggests elevated levels of a urinary biomarker, neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), 24 h after an abdominal procedure may improve early prediction of AKI. Identification of risk factors, avoidance of nephrotoxic medications, careful fluid balance, early detection of AKI, and maintenance of hemodynamic stability is imperative to potentially prevent and/or mitigate AKI.

Factors affecting stress levels in parents of surgical neonates: A prospective observational study

BACKGROUND

There is a paucity of research focusing on the stress levels in parents of newborns undergoing surgery. Resource challenged systems have to deal with overcrowding, a shortage of workforce along with demographic and socioeconomic issues like delayed presentations and out of pocket expenses. The primary objective of this study was to understand the factors associated with stress in the parents of these congenitally malformed neonates.

METHODOLOGY

This was a prospective cohort study, which was conducted in a neonatal surgical ICU of a tertiary care teaching hospital. Factors affecting stress levels in parents of surgical neonates were studied in 100 participants. A multi-dimensional questionnaire - The PSS: NICU score was utilized in the study. The parents were interviewed on Day 3-5 after surgery.

RESULT

59% of the respondents were fathers. The majority of the parents were in the age bracket of 24 to 35 years. The mean scores for the subscales sights and sounds, looks and behavior and alteration in the parental role were 3.24±0.8, 3.52±0.63, 3.55±0.8 and 2.8 ± 0.9 respectively. The highest level of stress was found in the domains of alteration of parental role and infant appearance and behavior. Comparisons showed significantly higher maternal scores in all the domains. Overall stress scores were highest for abdominal wall defects.

CONCLUSION

Parents of neonates undergoing surgery suffer from significant stress levels and appropriate counseling targeted towards specific stressors is required to allay this important parental issue.

Prognostic Role of Procalcitonin and C-reactive Protein in Surgical Neonates: A Single-Institution Experience

Introduction

Neonatal sepsis is a dynamic process where the rigorous evaluation of clinical signs along with appropriately selected biomarkers guides the diagnosis of sepsis. Procalcitonin (PCT) and C-reactive protein (CRP) are the two most commonly used diagnostic biomarkers used in sepsis. Sepsis remains the most important cause of mortality and morbidity in surgical neonates. A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the prognostic predictability of PCT and CRP in neonatal surgical sepsis.

Methods

All the neonates admitted to the neonatal surgical intensive care unit between January 2019 and December 2020 with features of sepsis were included in the study. Blood cultures, CRP, and PCT on Day one (PCT1) and Day three (PCT3) of suspicion of sepsis were evaluated. The receiver operating characteristics curve was studied to estimate the probability of two markers to predict the mortality in neonatal sepsis.

Results

Of 102 surgical neonates, 63 neonates had early-onset sepsis while 23 (22.5%) neonates died and 30 neonates reported positive blood culture. There was a decline in the overall PCT trend from PCT1 and PCT3, while a significant PCT rise was noted for the non-survival group (p= 0.003). At cut-off of 5 mg/dl for CRP and 2.5 ng/dl for PCT1 and PCT3, the sensitivity (36.0%, 25.8%, 100%), specificity (84.1%, 83.3%, 97.5%), positive predictive value (52.2%, 73.9%, 91.3%), and negative predictive values (73.4%, 38.0%, 100%) were observed.

Conclusion

PCT on Day three of suspected sepsis has higher sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy for prognostication of surgical neonatal sepsis at the cut-off value of 2.5 ng/ml. The rising trend of PCT levels is indicative of a poor prognosis.

Neonatal Surgical Morbidity and Mortality at a Single Tertiary Center in a Low- and Middle-Income Country: A Retrospective Study of Clinical Outcomes

Background

The most challenging and demanding issue in Pediatrics and Pediatric Surgery is to deal with neonatal surgery which almost always involves emergency neonatal surgical conditions. Emergency neonatal surgery most often involves congenital anomalies. More than 90% of these anomalies occur in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) like Bangladesh. This considerable load of patients and inadequate resources in their management continue to be an unconquerable challenge for pediatric and neonatal surgeons in this region. We aim to review the challenges and constraints influencing the outcomes of emergency neonatal surgery which will guide to propose expectations from the global community.

Method

We reviewed hospital records of neonates admitted to a tertiary care pediatric hospital between January 2016 and December 2020. Demographic and clinical data were extracted using a questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS 25.

Results

A total of 3,447 neonates were admitted during the five-year study period. More than 80% of the patients had at least one prenatal ultrasonography (USG) scan, but less than 10% had a prenatal diagnosis. More than 70% of the anomalies of the patient involved the gastrointestinal tract and abdominal wall. Overall mortality was an alarming 14.6%. Gastroschisis (>90%) and esophageal atresia (>85%) mainly contributed to this high mortality. The challenges detected in this review were the absence of a prenatal diagnosis, limited access to intensive care facilities, unavailability of parenteral nutrition, inadequate monitoring, and hospital-acquired sepsis.

Conclusion

Emergency neonatal surgery contributes to a significant proportion of neonatal mortality. A holistic approach is essential to improve the situation, including the infrastructure and human resource development, identification of causes, and implementation of preventive measures to reduce the patient load. Global collaboration remains to be a vital factor to mitigate these multifactorial constraints.

Operating Within the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: A Retrospective Analysis From a Tertiary Care Center

Background

Despite ongoing advances in the field of neonatology, the survival outcomes among critically ill preterm surgical neonates remain unfavorable. Intrahospital transport is one of the major risk factors associated with early mortality (within 30 days) in these newborns. To overcome this, the approach of performing bedside surgeries is being followed. We aim to assess the safety and feasibility of performing bedside neonatal surgeries by analyzing our archives.

Methods

The study focused on retrospective evaluation of all the newborns who have undergone surgical procedures in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at our center from August 2015 through February 2021. Newborns were operated within the NICU if they had very low birth weight or other risk factors making their transport to the operation room risky. The outcomes of surgeries were assessed in terms of postoperative complications, one-month survival, and overall survival.

Results

Thirteen children (M:F=9:4) underwent twenty-two surgical procedures. The median (range) gestational age and birth weight of our cohort were 30 (26-36) weeks and 1200 (500-2860) grams, respectively. One-month and overall survival rates in our cohort were 84% (11/13) and 77% (10/13), respectively. No major postoperative complications were observed. The requirement of multiple inotropes and/or high-frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV) was the only factor having a significant association with unfavorable survival outcomes.

Conclusions

Bedside surgery is a safe and feasible alternative to surgeries within the operation room for at-risk newborns. In the present study, the requirement of multiple inotropes and/or HFOV was the only factor significantly associated with early mortality.