Clinical Profile and Outcome of Neonates Admitted to Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at a Tertiary Care Centre in Eastern Nepal

Abstract

Introduction: Neonatal period is the most susceptible period of life due to different causes, which in most cases are preventable. Every year millions of neonates are born and a large proportion of them are admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for various indications. One of the Millennium Development Goals is to reduce under five mortality by two thirds by 2015. Therefore, this study was conducted to identify the clinical profile, pattern of diseases and common causes of mortality and morbidity in neonates admitted to NICU. Materials and Methods: A retrospective study was conducted at level III Neonatal NICU of a tertiary -care teaching hospital from January, 2012 to December, 2012. Results: Total of 361 neonates were admitted in NICU. Eighty six neonates (23.8%) were admitted due to prematurity and 73 (20.2%) with birth asphyxia. Among birth asphyxia, 40(54.8%)were in HIE III, 27.4% and 17.8% in HIE II and HIE I, respectively. One hundred eighteen (32.6%) cases were diagnosed as sepsis. The overall mortality was 20.2% during hospital stay. Conclusions: Sepsis, prematurity and birth asphyxia were major causes for admission in NICU. All these etiologies are preventable up to some extent and, if detected earlier, can be effectively treated in order to reduce morbidity and mortality. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jnps.v33i3.8447   J. Nepal Paediatr. Soc. 2013;33(3):177-181