Predicting Risk of Infection in Infants with Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia

Objective: To predict incident bloodstream infection and urinary tract infection (UTI) in infants with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH). Study design: We conducted a retrospective analysis using the Children's Hospital Neonatal Database during 2010-2016. Infants with CDH admitted at 22 participating regional neonatal intensive care units were included; patients repaired or discharged to home prior to admission/referral were excluded. The primary outcome was death or the occurrence of bloodstream infection or UTI prior to discharge. Factors associated with this outcome were used to develop a multivariable equation using 80% of the cohort. Validation was performed in the remaining 20% of infants. Results: Median gestation and postnatal age at referral in this cohort (n = 1085) were 38 weeks and 3.1 hours, respectively. The primary outcome occurred in 395 patients (36%); and was associated with low birth weight, low Apgar, low admission pH, renal and associated anomalies, patch repair, and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (P <.001 for all; area under receiver operating curve = 0.824; goodness of fit χ² = 0.52). After omitting death from the outcome measure, admission pH, patch repair of CDH, and duration of central line placement were significantly associated with incident bloodstream infection or UTI. Conclusions: Infants with CDH are at high risk of infection which was predicted by clinical factors. Early identification and low threshold for sepsis evaluations in high-risk infants may attenuate acquisition and the consequences of these infections.