Table 5.
Markers of illness severity in infants diagnosed with NEC before and after initiation of probiotics of probiotic supplementation in 2015.
| Pre-probiotic epoch (2011–2015) n = 14 | Post-probiotic epoch (2015–2020) n = 23 | Significance | |
|---|---|---|---|
| WBC count on day of diagnosis | 12.5 (±1.8) | 12.8 (±2.3) | NS |
| WBC count 1 day after diagnosis | 9.9 (±1.5) | 11.2 (±2.8) | NS |
| Platelet count on day of diagnosis | 324 (±28) | 320 (±45) | NS |
| Platelet count 1 day after diagnosis | 301 (±43) | 264 (±52) | NS |
| CRP on day of diagnosis | 1.3 (±1.0) | 2.9 (±1.1) | NS |
| CRP 1 day after diagnosis | 5.1 (±2.2) | 5.5 (±1.1) | NS |
| Surgical management | |||
| Surgery required (%) | 6 (43) | 12 (55) | NS |
| Drain placement only (%) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | NS |
| Exploratory laparotomy (%) | 4 (29) | 9 (41) | |
| Both drain + laparotomy (%) | 2 (14) | 3 (14) | |
| Bowel resection (%) | 7 (50) | 10 (45) | NS |
| Days receiving TPN prior to discharge | 39.0 (±6.3) | 44.0 (±8.0) | NS |
There were no significant differences in markers of illness severity in infants diagnosed with NEC in the post-probiotic epoch vs. in the pre-probiotic epoch.