Determinants of Mortality in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in Athens, Greece: A Case-Control Study.

INTRODUCTION

The aim of this study was to investigate associations between death and sociodemographic and clinical determinants in a neonatal ICU (NICU) in Athens, Greece, by means of a case-control study.

METHODS

The study was conducted between January 2013 and October 2017 at the NICU of "Panayiotis & Aglaia Kyriakou" Children's Hospital in Athens, Greece. The NICU subjects that died (case group) during this period (n=49) were compared with a control group of 451 NICU-admitted subjects who survived, during the same period. Potential determinants of mortality were assessed; univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed; odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were estimated.

RESULTS

Gestational age less than 32 weeks (adjusted OR=4.59, 95%CI: 2.09-10.10), low birth weight (adjusted OR=3.14, 95%CI: 1.43-6.91), emergency transfer (adjusted OR=11.92, 95%CI: 1.57-90.60), cyanosis (adjusted OR=5.20, 95%CI: 2.25-12.01), perinatal asphyxia (adjusted OR=6.96, 95%CI: 3.07-15.75), necrotizing enterocolitis (adjusted OR=3.21, 95%CI: 1.03-9.99), need for oxygen supply, and incubator use emerged as independent predictors of mortality.

CONCLUSION

Extreme prematurity, low birth weight, necrotizing enterocolitis, and emergency conditions are associated with mortality, despite progress made in the field of neonatal intensive care.