NECROTIZING ENTEROCOLITIS - MULTISYSTEM ORGAN FAILURE OF THE NEWBORN

Evidence of failure of organ system other than the gastrointestinal tr act was reviewed in a series of 46 infants treated for necrotizing ent erocolitis (NEC) at a regional combined medical and surgical neonatal unit. Respiratory failure was identified in 42 infants (91%), renal fa ilure in 39 (85%), cardiovascular failure in 15 (33%) and hepatic fail ure in 7 (15%). The number of systems involved correlated with both se verity of disease and outcome. Onset of failure in the above systems w as closely related to the diagnosis of NEC and 29 cases predated the c linical onset. We conclude that NEC is part of a syndrome of multisyst em failure and that this has important implications for the treatment of NEC.