Background: Illness severity scores are increasingly used for risk adjustment in clinical research and quality assessment. Recently, a simplified version of the score for neonatal acute physiology (SNAPPE-II) and a revised clinical risk index for babies (CRIB-II) score have been published. Aim: To compare the discriminatory ability and goodness of fit of CRIB, CRIB-II, and SNAPPE-II in a cohort of neonates , 1500 g birth weight (VLBWI). Methods: Data from 720 VLBWI, admitted to 12 neonatal units in Lombardy (Northern Italy) participating in a regional network, were analysed. The discriminatory ability of the scores was assessed measuring the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). Outcome measure was in-hospital death. Results: CRIB and CRIB-II showed greater discrimination than SNAPPE-II (AUC 0.90 and 0.91 v 0.84, p , 0.0004), partly because of the poor quality of some of the data required for the SNAPPE-II calculation-for example, urine output-but also because of the relative weight given to some items. In addition to each score, several variables significantly influenced survival in logistic regression models. Antenatal steroid prophylaxis, singleton birth, absence of congenital anomalies, and gestational age were independent predictors of survival for all scores, in addition to caesarean section and not being small for gestation (for SNAPPE-II) and a five minute Apgar score of > 7 (for SNAPPE-II and CRIB). Conclusions: CRIB and CRIB-II had greater discriminatory ability than SNAPPE-II. Risk adjustment using all scores is imperfect, and other perinatal factors significantly influence VLBWI survival. CRIB-II seems to be less confounded by these factors.

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Severe infections represent the main cause of neonatal mortality accounting for more than one million neonatal deaths worldwide every year. Antibiotics are the most commonly prescribed medications in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) and in industrialized countries about 1% of neonates are exposed to antibiotic therapy. Signs and symptoms of sepsis are nonspecific, and empiric antimicrobial therapy is promptly initiated after obtaining appropriate cultures in order to prevent deleterious consequences. However, many preterm infants who do not have infection receive antimicrobial agents during hospital stay and antibiotic treatment in the setting of negative cultures can have serious adverse effects like: promotion of bacterial antibiotic resistance, alteration of gut colonization, increase risk of Candida colonization and subsequent invasive candidiasis, increase risk of death, necrotizing enterocolitis and late-onset sepsis. Appropriate choice of antimicrobial agents and optimal duration of therapy in neonates with suspected or culture-proven sepsis is essential in order to prevent serious consequences. Moreover the establishment of an antibiotic stewardship programme in the NICUs is the best way of ensuring neonatal infections remain treatable while efforts are made for the developing of optimal antibiotic prescribing.