Table 1.
General characteristics in NEC infants with and without bowel perforation.
| Perforated NEC group (n = 10) | Nonperforated NEC group (n = 47) | P | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gestational age (weeks)a | 31.52 ± 2.31∗ | 33.49 ± 2.57 | 0.03 |
| Body weight (g)a | 1550 ± 550.25∗ | 1967.87 ± 518.98 | 0.03 |
| Maleb | 5 (50.00) | 30 (63.83) | 0.65 |
| SGAb | 3 (30.00) | 7 (14.80) | 0.49 |
| Twin pregnancyb | 5 (50.00) | 13 (27.60) | 0.31 |
| Low Apgar scoreb,c | 1 (10.00) | 5 (10.60) | 1.00 |
| In utero fetal distressb | 1 (10.00) | 3 (6.30) | 0.55 |
| Cesarean sectionb | 6 (60.00) | 30 (63.80) | 1.00 |
| Maternal diseasesb | 4 (40.00) | 17 (36.1) | 1.00 |
| SNAP-IIa | 8.38 ± 4.75 | 8.14 ± 6.83 | 0.09 |
| SNAPPE-IIa | 12.88 ± 9.02 | 13.05 ± 9.96 | 0.96 |
Note: adata were expressed as mean ± SD; bdata were expressed as the number (percentage within the group); cdefined as 5-minute Apgar score <7; ∗ P < 0.05 compared to the nonperforated NEC group.
NEC, necrotizing enterocolitis; SGA, small for gestational age; SNAP, Score for Neonatal Acute Physiology; SNAPPE-II, SNAP-Perinatal Extension-II.
Among the NEC group with perforation, 4 cases gave up treatment (all the 4 cases died according to our follow-up by telephone call), while in the NEC group without perforation, 9 cases gave up treatment due to economic reasons (6 died and 3 survived).