Mean Duration of Mechanical Ventilation among Newborns Admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in a Tertiary Care Centre: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study.

INTRODUCTION: Neonatal deaths account for the majority of deaths in the first year of life. Life-threatening apnoea or cardiovascular collapse needs cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Technological advancements, such as the administration of antepartum steroids, replacement of surfactants, nasal continuous positive airway pressure, and mechanical ventilation have led to improved neonatal survival, especially for premature neonates. The aim of this study was to find out the mean duration of mechanical ventilation among newborns admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in a tertiary care centre.

METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from 15 November 2020 to 15 April 2021 in a tertiary care centre. Ethical approval was taken from Institutional Review Committee (Reference number: F-NMC|504|076|077). The neonates of gestational age between 27-37 weeks of gestation admitted to the Neonatal care unit were included in the study. Neonates with birth weight <500 g and those babies having major, surgically uncorrectable lethal anomalies were excluded from the study. Convenience sampling method was used. Point estimate and 95% Confidence Interval were calculated.

RESULTS: Among 86 neonates, the mean duration of mechanical ventilation was 2.19±1.42 days. The mean weight of neonates was 2.63±0.81 kg. A total of 71 (82.56%) were male and 15 (17.44%) were female.

CONCLUSIONS: The mean duration of mechanical ventilation among newborns admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit in a tertiary care centre was lower than in other studies conducted in similar settings.

KEYWORDS: mechanical ventilation; neonatal death; neonatal intensive care unit; neonate.