Prediction of intestinal failure from necrotizing enterocolitis following surgery: A multicenter retrospective review

The aim of the present study was to identify risk factors for intestinal failure (IF) in infants who received surgery for necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). A retrospective multicenter case-series study was conducted in a sample of 91 infants admitted to Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University between January 2010 and December 2017. The occurrence of IF was defined as the dependence on parenteral nutrition for ≥90 days. Logistic regression was used to investigate the predictors of IF. Of 179 patients reviewed, excluding those with intestinal malformation and inadequate information, 91 were included in the study, and of these cases, 32 (35.2%) developed IF. Controlling for other factors, multivariate analysis showed that birth weight (OR = 0.999; 95% CI, 0.998–1.000; P = .010), the length of the bowel resected (OR = 1.109; 95% CI, 1.048–1.173; P = .000), and the percentage of small bowel resected (OR = 1.305; 95% CI, 1.133–1.504; P = .000) were factors that increased the chances of IF occurrence. Our data demonstrated that variables characteristic of severe NEC, including lower birth weight, greater extent of bowel resection, and larger percentage of small bowel resection were associated with the incidence of IF.