Necrotising enterocolitis of newborn

Description

This is a fulminating disease of neonates in which there is extensive mucosal ulceration, pseudomembrane formation, submucosal haemorrhage, and necrosis usually of the right colon, caecum, terminal ileum, and appendix (ENTEROCOLITIS), possibly due to perinatal intestinal ischemia and bacterial invasion. The entire colon, small intestine, stomach, and oesophagus may also be affected. Most infants are premature or suffer from respiratory distress syndrome, sepsis, or hypoxia. Symptoms (apparent during the first few weeks of life) include abdominal distension, bilious vomiting, and melaena; there may be apnoea, lethargy, temperature instability, tachycardia, tachypnoea, and a fall in blood pressure. The disorder may progress to perforation and peritonitis.

Coding note from above levels

Conditions arising in the perinatal period, even though death or morbidity occurs later, should, as far as possible, be coded to chapter 19, which takes precedence over chapters containing codes for diseases by their anatomical site. For children less than 28 days old, assume that a reported condition developed in the perinatal period, unless the duration is stated and the onset was after the first completed week of life.

Exclusions from above levels

• 01 – Certain infectious or parasitic diseases - acquired after birth
• 02 – Neoplasms
• 05 – Endocrine, nutritional or metabolic diseases