A FATAL CASE OF NECROTIZING ENTEROCOLITIS IN A NEONATE WITH POLYAGGLUTINATION OF RED-BLOOD-CELLS

An infant of 30 weeks gestation developed necrotizing enterocolitis (N EC) 8 days after birth and died 2 days later after a fulminating cours e. During her illness she received two blood transfusions, both of whi ch produced sub-optimal rises in her haemoglobin and were associated w ith evidence of haemolysis. Retrospective analysis demonstrated T anti gen (Tk) polyagglutination of the infant's red blood cells and donor p lasma. Although bacterial cultures were negative throughout the course of the illness in this case, T antigen exposure is associated with ce rtain anaerobic infections and with severity of NEC. Infants with NEC should be regularly screened for T antigen exposure and if this test i s positive, plasma (immunoglobulin) containing infusions should be avo ided.