Diagnostic value and disease evaluation significance of abdominal ultrasound inspection for neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis

OBJECTIVE: To summarize abdominal plain X-rays and ultrasound characteristics of 144 cases of Neonatal Necrotizing Enterocolitis (NEC) and to analyze diagnostic value and disease evaluation significance of abdominal ultrasound inspection for NEC. METHODS: Clinical data of 144 NEC patients were retrospectively analyzed from February 2014 to December 2015. The patients were divided into suspected NEC group (N=74) and confirmed NEC group (N=70) according to amended Bell-NEC classification and diagnostic criteria. Meanwhile, we divided them into internal medicine treatment group (N=95) and surgery/death group (N=49) according to clinical prognosis and took records of their clinical manifestations, laboratory inspection results and abdominal plain X-rays and ultrasound characteristics. RESULTS: For confirmed NEC group, the detection rate of portal venous gas (PVG) and dilatation of intestine by abdominal ultrasound was obviously higher than by plain X-rays (P<0.05). Abdominal ultrasound inspection revealed that the incidence rate of dilatation of intestine, bowel wall thickening and ascites (acoustic transmission difference) of the surgery/death group was higher than that of the internal medicine treatment group by comparing risk ratio (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of RR; the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). The abdominal plain X-rays inspection only showed the result that dilatation of intestine and free intraperitoneal air was more often found in the surgery/death group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Compared with abdominal plain X-rays, abdominal ultrasound has certain clinical value and offers more advantages in some aspects; therefore, it can be considered as the reference index in prediction of clinical prognosis.