Necrotising enterocolitis

Abstract

Necrotising enterocolitis (NEC) is a devastating disease of infants and the commonest gastrointestinal emergency in the newborn period. It is a condition characterised by intestinal necrosis affecting the ileum and/or colon. There is a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations. In the least severe cases there may be mild inflammation of the intestinal wall in a baby with mild abdominal distension and minimal systemic upset. The most severely affected cases, however, may show evidence of full thickness intestinal necrosis with perforation, respiratory and cardiovascular collapse, multi-system organ failure and in some cases death.