Which information will be given to parents of preterm infants--a comparison of estimates and local data.
OBJECTIVE
Parents of preterm infants require information on morbidity and duration of common interventions performed in the NICU. Since locally achieved data are often not available, information is mainly based on educated guesses of health care professionals. The present study compares estimates of neonatal nurses or medical doctors (MDs) in two separate NICUs with local data.


METHODS
Health care professionals were asked to estimate morbidity and duration of medical interventions of two groups of very low birth weight infants. For comparison, local data were obtained from infant charts and the Vermont Oxford Neonatal Network data base.


RESULTS
Incidence of BPD was underestimated by MDs and overestimated by nurses for low birth weight group (500-750 g) and overestimated by nurses for 1250- 1500 g infants. Incidence of IVH was significantly overestimated by nurses for both groups. Duration of ventilatory support was underestimated for infants of a gestational age of 24-27 weeks and overestimated for the age group of 31-32 weeks. Length of stay in NICU was underestimated for infants at gestational age of 24-27 weeks, but not for the 32-33 weeks group.


CONCLUSIONS
Information based on estimates made by health care professionals may be misleading. Data differ significantly among different NICUs, thus, local data should be obtained by each NICU and used to inform parents appropriately.
Rüdiger
Mario
M
Department for Pediatrics, Medical University Innsbruck, Pädiatrie IV-Neonatologie, Austria. mario.ruediger@uibk.ac.at
Iffländer
Sascha
S
Reichert
Jörg
J
Bätzel
Carolin
C
Reiter
Gernot
G
Wauer
Roland R
RR
D001317:Austria / Q000453:epidemiology; D030881:Disclosure / Q000592:standards*; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007235:Infant, Premature, Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009017:Morbidity; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital; D018529:Nutritional Support / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010290:Parents; D010360:Patient Transfer / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010820:Physicians; D012121:Respiration, Artificial / Q000706:statistics & numerical data