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Severe neonatal hyperbilirubinaemia is frequently associated with long hospitalisation for emergency care in Nigeria
Author(s) -
Olusanya Bolajoko O.,
Mabogunje Cecilia A.,
Imam Zainab O.,
Emokpae Abieyuwa A.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
acta paediatrica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1651-2227
pISSN - 0803-5253
DOI - 10.1111/apa.14045
Subject(s) - medicine , interquartile range , odds ratio , confidence interval , exchange transfusion , pediatrics , asphyxia , logistic regression , jaundice , obstetrics
Aim This study investigated the frequency and predictors of a long hospital stay ( LHS ) for severe neonatal hyperbilirubinaemia in Nigeria. Methods Length of stay ( LOS ) for severe hyperbilirubinaemia was examined among neonates consecutively admitted to the emergency department of a children's hospital in Lagos from January 2013 to December 2014. The median LOS was used as the cut‐off for LHS . Multivariate logistic regression determined the independent predictors of LHS based on demographic and clinical factors significantly associated with the log‐transformed LOS in the bivariate analyses. Results We enrolled 622 hyperbilirubinaemic infants with a median age of four days (interquartile range 2–6 days) and 276 (44.4%) had LHS based on the median LOS of five days. Regardless of their birth place, infants were significantly more likely to have LHS if they were admitted in the first two days of life (p = 0.008) – especially with birth asphyxia – or had acute bilirubin encephalopathy (p = 0.001) and required one (p = 0.020) or repeat (p = 0.022) exchange transfusions. Infants who required repeat exchange transfusions had the highest odds for LHS (odds ratio 4.98, 95% confidence interval 1.26–19.76). Conclusion Severe hyperbilirubinaemia was frequently associated with long hospitalisation in Nigeria, especially if neonates had birth asphyxia or required exchange transfusions.