Relationship of nosocomial infections with the development of necrotizing enterocolitis in preterm infants.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the association between the number of nosocomial infections prior to necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) diagnosis as well as to evaluated how it contributed to development of NEC in premature infants. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study included 51 preterm infants diagnosed with NEC and 71 preterm infants without NEC hospitalized in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of Clinical Center University of Sarajevo. We evaluated the correlation of the number of nosocomial infections prior to NEC diagnosis with the development of NEC. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant association of the number of nosocomial infections prior NEC diagnosis with the development of NEC (odds ratio, 3.32; 95% confidence interval, 1.09-10.01). CONCLUSION: Increased number of nosocomial infections prior to NEC diagnosis is associated with increased risk of necrotizing enterocolitis.