“…Interestingly in our cohort, time to initiation of EN was not independently associated with time to enteral autonomy when also considering prematurity, atresia, CLABSI, and type of closure. Other studies have suggested that protocolized feeding with earlier initiation of EN, at around day 7 of life or 1 week after abdominal closure, may be associated with shorter PN dependence and length of stay . Earlier initiation of EN is likely a marker for milder disease severity.…”
Infants with gastroschisis are dependent on PN and have a significant decline in WAZ during their hospital stay, predicted by prematurity and CLABSI. Efforts to prevent CLABSI and optimize enteral autonomy must be prioritized in this cohort.
“…Interestingly in our cohort, time to initiation of EN was not independently associated with time to enteral autonomy when also considering prematurity, atresia, CLABSI, and type of closure. Other studies have suggested that protocolized feeding with earlier initiation of EN, at around day 7 of life or 1 week after abdominal closure, may be associated with shorter PN dependence and length of stay . Earlier initiation of EN is likely a marker for milder disease severity.…”
Infants with gastroschisis are dependent on PN and have a significant decline in WAZ during their hospital stay, predicted by prematurity and CLABSI. Efforts to prevent CLABSI and optimize enteral autonomy must be prioritized in this cohort.
“…19,20 Aljahdali et al 19 observed a better evolution when diets were initiated seven days after the abdominal wall closure. Sharp et al 20 found that for every day of delay of the start of enteral nutrition, there was an increase in the length of stay of 1.05 days and an increase in the duration of enteral nutrition of 1.06 days.…”
Early start of enteral feeding and small, gradual increase of volume can shorten the use of parenteral nutrition. This management strategy contributes to reduce the incidence of infection and length of hospital stay of newborns with gastroschisis.
“…Considerable variability in the surgical and medical management of infants with gastroschisis has been noted [2, 3], and a consensus is lacking for the optimal surgical repair method [2–7], ventilation and paralysis strategies [2], pain management [2], antibiotic and central line duration [3], and feeding regimens [8]. Not only do different centers use varying management strategies, but variability within single institutions is also prevalent.…”
Background/Purpose
Gastroschisis is a resource-intensive birth defect without consensus regarding optimal surgical and medical management. We sought to determine best–practice guidelines by examining differences in multi-institutional practices and outcomes.
Methods
Site-specific practice patterns were queried, and infant-maternal chart review was retrospectively performed for gastroschisis infants treated at 5 UCfC institutions (2007–2012). The primary outcome was length of stay. Univariate analysis was done to assess variation practices and outcomes by site. Multivariate models were constructed with site as an instrumental variable and with sites grouped by silo practice pattern adjusting for confounding factors.
Results
Of 191 gastroschisis infants, 164 infants were uncomplicated. Among uncomplicated patients, there were no deaths and only one case of necrotizing enterocolitis. Bivariate analysis revealed significant differences in practices and outcomes by site. Despite wide variations in practice patterns, there were no major differences in outcome among sites or by silo practice, after adjusting for confounding factors.
Conclusions
Wide variability exists in institutional practice patterns for infants with gastroschisis, but poor outcomes were not associated with expeditious silo or primary closure, avoidance of routine paralysis, or limited central line and antibiotic durations. Development of clinical pathways incorporating these practices may help standardize care and reduce health care costs.
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