title: Prognostic value of abdominal sonography in necrotizing enterocolitis of premature infants born before 33 weeks gestational age.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to assess the prognostic value of abdominal sonography in necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in preterm infants with a gestational age less than 33 weeks of gestation, using surgery and/or death as the primary outcome and stenosis as the secondary outcome.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective study of 95 premature infants (mean gestational age: 28.6 weeks), presenting with NEC between January 2009 and November 2011 and who underwent plain abdominal radiography and sonography, was performed. In uni- and multivariate analyses, radiographic and sonographic findings were correlated with complications ('surgery and/or death' and 'stenosis').
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sonographic findings of free intraperitoneal air (odd ratio [OR]=8.0; IC, 1.4-44.2), free abdominal fluid (OR 3.5; IC 1.3-9.4), portal venous gas (OR 3.9; IC, 1.2-12.9), and bowel wall thickening (OR 2.8; IC,1.1-7.2) were significantly associated with surgery and/or death. Intramural gas was significantly correlated (OR=11.8; IC, 1.5-95.8) with intestinal stenosis following NEC. None of the radiographic findings were associated with complications.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Abdominal sonography is a reliable tool for the prognostic assessment of NEC in preterm infants.
authors.affiliation: Service de médecine néonatale, unité de soins intensifs néonatale, Hôpital Nord, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Marseille, Université de la Méditerranée, Chemin des Bourrellys, 13015 Marseille Cedex 20, France. Electronic address: aurelie.garbi@ap-hm.fr.
authors.forename: Aurélie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Garbi-Goutel
authors.affiliation: Service de médecine néonatale, unité de soins intensifs néonatale, Hôpital Nord, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Marseille, Université de la Méditerranée, Chemin des Bourrellys, 13015 Marseille Cedex 20, France.
authors.forename: Véronique
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Brévaut-Malaty
authors.affiliation: Département d'imagerie médicale, Hôpital Nord, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Marseille, Université de la Méditerranée, Chemin des Bourrellys, 13015 Marseille Cedex 20, France.
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Panuel
authors.affiliation: Service d'anesthésie et de réanimation pédiatrique, Hôpital Nord, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Marseille, Université de la Méditerranée, Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Fabrice
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Michel
authors.affiliation: Service de chirurgie pédiatrique, Hôpital Nord, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Marseille, Université de la Méditerranée, Chemin des Bourrellys, 13015 Marseille Cedex 20, France.
authors.forename: Thierry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Merrot
authors.affiliation: Service de médecine néonatale, unité de soins intensifs néonatale, Hôpital Nord, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Marseille, Université de la Méditerranée, Chemin des Bourrellys, 13015 Marseille Cedex 20, France.
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gire
mesh_terms: D000005:Abdomen / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D020345:Enterocolitis, Necrotizing / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007235:Infant, Premature, Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D007415:Intestinal Obstruction / Q000209:etiology; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D016017:Odds Ratio; D063868:Patient Outcome Assessment; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D014463:Ultrasonography
keywords: Necrotizing enterocolitis; Preterm infant; Prognosis; Sonography