Clinical Outcomes of Neonatal Admissions with Respiratory Distress at SICHN: An Observational Study

Abstract

Abstract

Objective: The objective of study was to estimate the frequency of respiratory distress, identify its contributing factors, and evaluate the hospital outcomes for newborns admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit with respiratory distress.

Study Design: Observational cohort study

Place and Duration: this study was carried out from September 2022 to February 2023, at NICU of Sindh Institute of Child Health and Neonatology (SICHN), Korangi, Karachi.

Materials and Methods: In this study a total of 680 neonates were enrolled who were admitted to the NICU-SICHN for the complaint of respiratory distress and were monitored for the subsequent outcomes.

Results: Out of the 680 admitted neonates, 587 (86.32%) were presented with respiratory distress (RD); 312 (61.17%) were male and 198 (38.8%) were female. Frequency of premature babies were quite a high with 321 (63%) of the total newborns with respiratory distress (RD). Most common etiologies of RD among newborns were; 197 (94.7%) with hyaline membrane disease, 187 (80%) with sepsis, 58 (95%) with pneumonia, 32 (100%) with transient tachypnea of newborns, 20 (74%) with meconium aspiration syndrome, 11 (2.15%) with bronchiolitis and 5 (0.98%) with congenital heart abnormalities. Whereas, most frequent cause of death among neonates with respiratory distress was sepsis 47 out of 77 (61.03%).

Conclusion: Newborn respiratory distress can be lethal, identification of the symptoms like foaming, grunting and subcostal suction is crucial for prompt treatment of respiratory distress.