Abstract:
Objective
To explore the applicability and clinical significance of neonatal critical case scoring(NCIS) in neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (NRDS).
Methods
A total of 70 cases of NRDS child patients admitted to the Affiliated Hospital of Medical College of Yangzhou University from January 2015 to December 2016 were selected and divided into early preterm infant group(gestational age<34 weeks, n=46) and late preterm infant group(gestational age between 34 and 36+6 weeks, n=16) and fullterm infant group(gestational age≥37 weeks, n=8) according to the gestational age. All children were scored by the 10 items of NCIS method with a total score of 100 points. The initial scoring was performed within 24h after entering NICU; the scoring was performed every other day, and the most critical score was taken; the patients with aggravation were scored immediately and the taken most critical score was taken; the patients with increasing aggravation were scored every day until the day of death. The children with a total score>90 points were non-critical, 70 to 90 points, critical, and<70 points, extremely critical. The patients with one or more than one item of single index might also be judged as neonatal critical cases.
Results
The incidence rate of non-critical cases was low among the three groups (P>0.05). The incidence rate of critical cases was high in early preterm infant group and late preterm infant group, but the difference was not statistically significant compared with that in full-term preterm group(P>0.05). The incidence rate of extremely critical cases was highest in the full-term infant group, and there was a significant difference compared with early preterm infant group and late preterm infant group(P<0.05). There were no deaths in non-critical cases; the death rate in extremely critical cases was high among the three groups, and there was a significant difference compared with non-critical cases and critical cases(P<0.05).
Conclusion
NCIS method is helpful to assess the severity and development trend of NRDS, and it can also be used to predict the risk of death and provide a basis for continuing treatment and communication with family members.

Key words: Respiratory distress syndrome, Critical case scoring, Preterm infants, Full-term infants