The Association of Nil Per Os (NPO) Days with Necrotizing Enterocolitis

Table 3

Patient outcomes based on the NPO days.

	Longer NPO ()	Shorter NPO ()	values	Odds ratio (95% CI)
Perforated NEC	36 (36.7)	22 (22.4)	0.021	2.01 (1.07–3.76)
NEC stage
Stage II	63 (64.3)	75 (76.5)
Stage III	35 (35.7)	23 (3.5)	0.042	1.81 (0.97–3.38)
Mechanical ventilation (days)	13.7 ± 6.4	10.8 ± 5.3	0.005	0.17 (0.08–0.98)
Days to enteral feeds (median)	22.9 ± 12.3	23.2 ± 11.6	0.23	0.42 (0.28–1.62)
90-day parenteral nutrition dependence, (%)	7 (7.1)	6 (6.1)	0.30
NICU length of stay (days), mean ± SD	26.5 ± 13.2	23.2 ± 12.5	0.093	0.32 (0.18–1.09)
Bacterial sepsis, (%)	18 (18.4)	12 (12.2)	0.16
Albumin minimum (g/L, normal range, 35–50)	32.4 ± 6.2	33.7 ± 5.8	0.125
Mortality, (%)	28 (28.6)	20 (20.4)	0.10	1.56 (0.81–3.01)
Short bowel syndrome	7 (7.1)	3 (3.1)	0.17