title: Diagnostic value and disease evaluation significance of abdominal ultrasound inspection for neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To summarize abdominal plain X-rays and ultrasound characteristics of 144 cases of Neonatal Necrotizing Enterocolitis (NEC) and to analyze diagnostic value and disease evaluation significance of abdominal ultrasound inspection for NEC.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinical data of 144 NEC patients were retrospectively analyzed from February 2014 to December 2015. The patients were divided into suspected NEC group (N=74) and confirmed NEC group (N=70) according to amended Bell-NEC classification and diagnostic criteria. Meanwhile, we divided them into internal medicine treatment group (N=95) and surgery/death group (N=49) according to clinical prognosis and took records of their clinical manifestations, laboratory inspection results and abdominal plain X-rays and ultrasound characteristics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  For confirmed NEC group, the detection rate of portal venous gas (PVG) and dilatation of intestine by abdominal ultrasound was obviously higher than by plain X-rays (P<0.05). Abdominal ultrasound inspection revealed that the incidence rate of dilatation of intestine, bowel wall thickening and ascites (acoustic transmission difference) of the surgery/death group was higher than that of the internal medicine treatment group by comparing risk ratio (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of RR; the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). The abdominal plain X-rays inspection only showed the result that dilatation of intestine and free intraperitoneal air was more often found in the surgery/death group (P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Compared with abdominal plain X-rays, abdominal ultrasound has certain clinical value and offers more advantages in some aspects; therefore, it can be considered as the reference index in prediction of clinical prognosis.
authors.affiliation: Li Wang, Department of Special Inspection, Binzhou People's Hospital, Shandong 256610, China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Yinghui Li, Department of Health Examination, Binzhou People's Hospital, Shandong 256610, China.
authors.forename: Yinghui
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Jian Liu, Department of Special Inspection, Binzhou People's Hospital, Shandong 256610, China.
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
keywords: Abdominal Ultrasound; Neonatal Necrotizing Enterocolitis; Newborn