Hospitalizacije prijevremeno rođene dojenčadi na Odjelu intenzivnog liječenja djece Kliničkog bolničkog centra Rijeka u petogodišnjem razdoblju.

The study aimed to determine the incidence, clinical characteristics, and outcomes of the preterm infants treated at the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit of the Paediatric Clinic, Clinical Hospital Centre Rijeka, from 2014 to 2018. Patients and methods: Respondents were all preterm infants treated in the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit of the Paediatric Clinic, Clinical Hospital Centre Rijeka, from 2014 to 2018. Observed preterm infants were divided into four groups based on their gestational age (extremely prematurely born, very prematurely born, moderately prematurely born, late prematurely born). These groups were observed and compared with their individual clinical characteristics. Results: The study included a total of 176 premature infants. In the group of extremely premature infants, the reasons for hospitalization in 90.3% of cases were complications of premature birth, which caused hospitalizations in the group of very premature infants by 62.1%, among moderate infants by 35%, and in the group of late preterm infants by 22.4%. Of the total number of observed hospitalized preterm infants, 79 of them (44.9%) had 1-2 complications, 35 (19.9%) had 3-4 complications, and 15 of them (8.5%) had five or more complications. Out of the total of 176 observed preterm infants in this period, 14 (8%) died during the hospitalization. Conclusions: Based on literature sources, the most common reasons for hospitalization of preterm infants are infections – often directly related to complications of premature birth – the attempts to reduce the number of hospitalizations should focus on the reduction of infections. Besides that, more coordination between care and monitoring would probably ensure more positive outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]