title: Necrotizing enterocolitis.
abstract: The clinical course of 54 patients with necrotizing enterocolitis has been compared to a matched group of 98 control patients. On the day of life that NEC occurred, all 54 NEC patients and 63% of controls were receiving standard formula feedings, both at 80/cal/kg/day. Stool cultures at the time revealed a significantly increased frequency of Klebsiella in NEC as compared to control patients. Our data suggest that the combined presence of certain intestinal bacteria and enteric feedings, perhaps requiring a background of mucosal ischemia, may be of etiologic significance in the development of NEC and its radiologic hallmark, pneumatosis intestinalis.
mesh_terms: D001724:Birth Weight; D004211:Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation / Q000209:etiology; D004755:Enterobacteriaceae / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004761:Enterocolitis, Pseudomembranous / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007225:Infant Food; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007232:Infant, Newborn, Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D007235:Infant, Premature, Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D007422:Intestines / Q000382:microbiology; D007709:Klebsiella / Q000302:isolation & purification; D009336:Necrosis / Q000209:etiology; D010288:Parenteral Nutrition / Q000009:adverse effects; D011859:Radiography