THE USE OF CRIB (CLINICAL RISK INDEX FOR BABIES) SCORE IN AUDITING THE PERFORMANCE OF ONE NEONATAL INTENSIVE-CARE UNIT

The CRIB (clinical risk index of babies) score was developed to overco me the disadvantages of birthweight-specific comparisons between neona tal units. The aims of this study were to assess the ability of CRIB s core compared to birthweight and gestational age to predict hospital m ortality in very low birthweight infants and to use CRIB score in audi ting one unit's performance during a prolonged time period. The charts of 335 infants with birthweight less than or equal to 1500g born betw een 1980 and 1995 were reviewed retrospectively. CRIB predicted hospit al mortality significantly better than birthweight and gestation and p erformed equally well, whether the infants were treated with synthetic surfactant or not. When adjusting for CRIB score there was a signific ant improvement in the unit's performance, probably owing to the intro duction of surfactant, As small samples tend to be associated with wid e confidence intervals, use of CRIB is recommended in comparing risk a djusted mortality in a single unit over several years, as in this stud y, or between large groups of neonatal units over shorter periods.