CLINICAL SPECTRUM OF THE DISEASES AND THEIR OUTCOME IN ADMITTED CASES OF NEONATAL INTENSIVE CARE UNIT IN A PERIPHERAL MILITARY HOSPITAL IN ABBOTTABAD

ABSTRACT Objective: To overview the clinical spectrum of diseases and their outcome in admitted cases of Neonatal Intensive Care Unit(NICU) in a peripheral military hospital in Abbottabad. Study Design: Observational study. Place and Duration of Study: Pediatrics Department, Combined Military Hospital Abbottabad, from Sep 2017 to Mar 2018. Methodology: All the relevant data of 284 patients admitted in the neonatal intensive care unit, were studied retrospectively. The history, birth place, gestational age, mode of delivery, clinical presentation, treatment, clinical course and the outcome of the admission of 284 babies was recorded. All relevant investigations and radiographs were also recorded. Results: Out of the 284 patients included in the study, 65.1% were male while 34.8% were females. Total 44.7% patients were admitted as outdoor cases while rest of the patients(55.3%) were born in our hospital. Majority(59.5%) of the patients were less than 24 hours of age. Out of the 11.97% patients were very low birth weight, while 42.96% patients were low birth weight and 45.07% patients had normal birth weight. The most common cause of admission was infection, followed by preterm births and then was the patients with transient tachypnea of the newborn. Twenty point one percent patients expired while 79.9% patients recovered and were discharged from our unit successfully. Conclusion: Neonatal sepsis and prematurity are two leading causes of neonatal mortality in developing countries. There is a need to increase the number of neonatal health care facilities at national level in this part of country so that a large number of preventable neonatal deaths can be avoided.