title: [Analysis of population characteristics of infants affected by necrotizing enterocolitis in a tertiary centre in the last 12 years].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Necrotizing enterocolitis is the most lethal gastrointestinal emergency in the neonatal period. Incidence and mortality have remained stable in recent years despite advances in neonatal intensive care. The aim of this study is to show the general characteristics of patients diagnosed with necrotizing enterocolitis at Teresa Herrera's Hospital (La Coruna, Spain) in the last 12years.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study makes a retrospective and prospective descriptive analysis, evaluating the medical records and collecting radiological demographic variables, gestational data, perinatal history, clinical, analytical and perinatal therapeutic management and events in patients diagnosed with and treated for necrotizing enterocolitis between 2003 and 2015.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 124 patients met the criteria for inclusion in the study. The mean gestational age of our patients was 33 weeks and remained stable compared with other studies. The average weight of our patients was 1,873g. In our series of cases there was a progressive and significant increase in maternal age and the rate of artificial pregnancies and multiple births. In our series 38.7% of our patients required surgical treatment and the fatality rate was 11.4%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite advances in pre- and perinatal care necrotizing enterocolitis represents the leading cause of premature mortality. Incidence has remained unchanged in recent decades. More studies are required to identify both, risk and protective factors to reduce the morbidity and mortality of this entity.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Cirugía Pediátrica, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de A Coruña, A Coruña, España. Electronic address: miriam.ciruped@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Miriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: García-González
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Epidemiología Clínica y Bioestadística, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de A Coruña, A Coruña, España.
authors.forename: Salvador
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pita-Fernández
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Cirugía Pediátrica, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de A Coruña, A Coruña, España.
authors.forename: Jesús
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Caramés-Bouzán
mesh_terms: D020345:Enterocolitis, Necrotizing / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007235:Infant, Premature, Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D062606:Tertiary Care Centers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
keywords: Enterocolitis necrosante; Epidemiology; Epidemiología; Estadística; Necrotizing enterocolitis; Neonatal; Statistics