PLASMA CITRULLINE LEVEL AS A PREDICTIVE MARKER OF NECROTIZING ENTEROCOLITIS IN PRETERM NEONATES

Abstract

Necrotizing enterocolitis [NEC] is one of the commonest causes of morbidity and mortality in VLBW preterm neonates. NEC can be considered as the most serious catastrophic gastrointestinal emergency in the neonatal period. The aim of our study is to evaluate the role of plasma citrulline level as a predictive marker of developing NEC in preterm neonates. It was carried out in the NICU of Al mataria teaching hospital on 40 preterm neonates with a gestational age less than 37 weeks. The patients under the study were divided to two groups: I- Cases (study group): consists of twenty preterm neonates who developed NEC during their admission period and were classified and diagnosed according to the Bell's Staging of NEC. II- Controls (control group): consists of twenty preterm neonates of matching birth weight and gestational age who were admitted in the NICU and did not develop manifestations of NEC during the admission period. All neonates with inborn Errors of metabolism, congenital anomalies, surgical disorder, kidney, liver, or intestinal diseases or had exchange transfusion during the period of blood sampling were excluded.