Changes in the Process of Care and Outcome Over a 10-year Period in a Neonatal Nursery in a Developing Country

Abstract

Over a 10-year period there was increasing involvement by clinicians in the generation and implementation of evidence-based practices in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). For two cohorts of very low birth weight (VLBW) babies admitted 10 years apart to a developing country, NICU were compared and changes occurring in process of care that might have contributed to any change in outcome were documented. Prospective data were collected on characteristics, management and complications of all VLBW infants admitted over the same 6-month period in 1993 and 2003 and examined for changes in evidence-based practices and outcome. Compared to the first cohort of 69 babies, 60 babies in the second cohort were significantly more likely to have been inborn (p < 0.001), born by Caesarean section (p = 0.035), to have received antenatal corticosteroids (p < 0.001), to be intubated at birth (p < 0.001) and have a 5 min Apgar score above 6 (p = 0.034). They were also significantly lighter and of lower gestation (p = 0.005). They were significantly more likely to have received surfactant (p < 0.001), to have been ventilated and to have had double prong nasal continuous positive pressure either as a mode of ventilation or for weaning (p < 0.001). Hypothermia on admission was more common in the second cohort (p < 0.001). Survival increased from 62.3% to 81.6% (p = 0.015). Although causality cannot be established, an increase in the use of evidence-based practices was associated with a significant improvement in outcomes. In spite of greater barriers to implementation there are evidence-based strategies that can be put into neonatal practice in developing countries.