Table 3

Observed and expected hospital deaths, and standardised mortality ratio for infants admitted to neonatal intensive care units in 1993 and 1994, adjusted for risk using CRIB and gestation

Neonatal intensive care units Observed deaths Expected deaths Total infants p Value Standardised mortality ratio (observed/ expected deaths) 95% CI
Australian199198.914750.9941.00
All Scottish167114.58848< 0.0011.461.29 to 1.63
Scottish tertiary14294.67718< 0.0011.501.31 to 1.69
Scottish non-tertiary2519.91130 0.2541.260.85 to 1.66
  • A logistic regression model predicting hospital mortality was fitted using CRIB and gestation as explanatory variables in infants admitted to Australian neonatal intensive care units only. The model was then used to calculate the number of deaths expected in all Scottish neonatal intensive care units, and in Scottish tertiary and non-tertiary neonatal intensive care units respectively, using the Australian neonatal intensive care units as a reference. Significantly more deaths were observed in all Scottish neonatal intensive care units than in Australian neonatal intensive care units. Similarly significantly more deaths were observed in Scottish tertiary neonatal intensive care units than in Australian neonatal intensive care units. Mortality rates in Scottish tertiary and non-tertiary neonatal intensive care units were similar.