ArticleArchives of disease in childhood. Fetal and neonatal edition2025
Surgeons and neonatologists views about surgical decision-making in necrotising enterocolitis.
Article in Archives of disease in childhood. Fetal and neonatal edition, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.
What it found
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Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed.
- Surgical Interventions for NEC-An Overview.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Predicting surgical NEC in neonates: risk factors and model development.BMC gastroenterology · 2025Article
- Necrotizing Enterocolitis: What's New and What's Next?International journal of molecular sciences · 2025Review
- A predictive model for prognosis in infants with surgical necrotizing enterocolitis.Italian journal of pediatrics · 2025Article
- Predictive value of biomarkers in neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis.Frontiers in pediatrics · 2025Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveTo understand why surgical decision-making in necrotising enterocolitis (NEC) is challenging and to explore what is required to optimise this.
designThree semi-structured in-person focus groups exploring surgical decision-making in NEC. Reflexive thematic analysis of the focus group transcript was undertaken.
participants22 consultant participants (15 paediatric surgeons and 7 neonatologists).
main outcome measuresThemes addressing what informs, the challenges of and how to improve surgical decision-making in NEC.
results10 themes addressed what informs decision-making in NEC, 6 themes addressed why this is challenging and 5 themes explained what is required to address the challenges of decision-making. Themes regarding challenges of decision-making were: diagnostic uncertainty, variable threshold for referral/transfer, lack of continuity of care, absence of clear criteria for surgery, uncertainty surrounding surgery and fear. Subthemes regarding fear were fear of (1) poor clinical outcome, (2) criticism from colleagues and (3) undertaking unnecessary surgery.Themes in all three areas were related to infant, clinician and system-based factors. These included themes regarding indications for surgical intervention, indications for referral and transfer of infants, and reducing variability in practice.
conclusionsThis study identified themes that illuminate the difficulties experienced by neonatologists and surgeons regarding surgical decision-making in NEC. Clinicians of both specialties would welcome changes to current practice focused particularly around standardisation of practice and greater objectivity around several aspects of surgical decision-making. These insights can be used to focus further research and implement practice change around surgical decision-making in NEC with the ultimate aim of facilitating early and accurate decision-making.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.