Article Text
Abstract
Objective In response to the increasing focus on family-centred care, neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) environments have gradually shifted towards the single-room design. However, the assumed benefits of this emerging design remain a subject of debate. Our goal was to evaluate the impact of single-room versus open-bay care on the risk of neonatal morbidity and mortality in preterm neonates.
Design Retrospective cohort study.
Setting Level III NICU.
Patients Neonates born <32 weeks’ gestation between 15 May 2015 and 15 May 2019.
Main outcome measures Mortality and morbidities of a cohort of neonates admitted to a new, single-room unit (SRU) were compared with a historical cohort of neonates admitted to an open-bay unit (OBU). Group differences were evaluated and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed.
Results Three-hundred and fifty-six and 343 neonates were admitted to the SRU and OBU, respectively. No difference in neonatal morbidities and mortality were observed between cohorts (bronchopulmonary dysplasia: OR 1.08, 95% CI 0.73 to 1.58, p=0.44; retinopathy of the prematurity stage ≥2: OR 1.36, 95% CI 0.84 to 2.22, p=0.10; intraventricular haemorrhage: OR 0.89, 95% CI 0.59 to 1.34, p=0.86; mortality: OR 1.55, 95% CI 0.75 to 3.20, p=0.28). In adjusted regression models, single-room care was independently associated with a decreased risk of symptomatic patent ductus arteriosus (adjusted OR 0.54, 95% CI 0.31 to 0.95). No independent association between single-room care and any of the other investigated outcomes was observed.
Conclusions Implementation of single-rooms in our NICU did not lead to a significant reduction in neonatal morbidity and mortality outcomes.
- Mortality
- Neonatology
- Intensive Care Units, Neonatal
Data availability statement
Data are available upon request from the corresponding author.
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Data availability statement
Data are available upon request from the corresponding author.
Footnotes
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Contributors SJ collected and analysed the data, drafted the initial and final version of the manuscript and is responsible for the overall content as the guarantor. ABtP, NE and AvdH critically reviewed and revised the manuscript for important intellectual content. RJMB, SJ and LSdV collected a part of the data and critically reviewed and revised the manuscript for important intellectual content. EL and VB conceptualised the study, supervised data collection and critically reviewed and revised the manuscript for important intellectual content. All authors approved the final manuscript as submitted and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.
Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.
Competing interests None declared.
Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.
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