An Australasian Survey of Neonatal Clinicians on Clinical Utility of Point-of-Care Bowel Ultrasound in Diagnosis of Necrotising Enterocolitis

Abstract

Introduction

Necrotising enterocolitis (NEC) is a life-threatening intestinal disease of the newborn characterised by ischaemia, inflammation and bowel necrosis. Due to the lack of biochemical markers and nonspecific clinical signs in early NEC, bowel ultrasound has gained popularity as a diagnostic tool. This survey aimed to investigate the opinions of neonatal clinicians on the practice of point-of-care bowel ultrasound for the diagnosis of NEC.

Methods

This quantitative study utilised a cross-sectional online single-invitation survey sent to neonatal clinicians using point-of-care ultrasound across Australia, New Zealand and Singapore. We aimed to explore the barriers to, and facilitators of the clinical practice of bowel ultrasound in NEC using the survey responses.

Results

The survey results indicate a clear need for a dedicated training module in Australasia to equip neonatal clinicians with the skills for point-of-care bowel ultrasound assessment. Most (95%) of neonatal clinicians practising point-of-care ultrasound agreed that performing a bowel ultrasound in the suspected diagnosis of NEC is helpful or may be helpful, with 87% expressing interest in undertaking training.

Conclusion

The study's findings reveal a strong interest among neonatal clinicians in Australia and New Zealand to learn point-of-care bowel ultrasound for NEC diagnosis. This interest not only sets the stage for a collaborative approach in planning and developing a training programme but also has the potential to significantly improve NEC diagnosis and patient outcomes in clinical practice.