Abstract
UNLABELLED: Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a devastating gastrointestinal illness that affects predominantly preterm infants. Treatment options are limited and NEC remains a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. The precise aetiology of NEC remains unclear but evidence strongly suggests that the cause is multifactorial and there are four main aetiological factors: prematurity, hypoxia, enteral feeding and bacterial colonization. The presence of similar intestinal lesions, regardless of aetiological trigger, strongly implicates a final common pathway in the pathogenesis. There is now a substantial body of evidence to indicate that endogenous inflammatory mediators, particularly platelet-activating factor (PAF), play a vital role in this final pathway.
CONCLUSION: The use of agents that antagonize PAF may provide therapeutic options in the management of NEC.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 2-5 |
| Number of pages | 4 |
| Journal | Wiadomosci Ubezpieczeniowe (Insurance News) |
| Volume | 91 |
| Issue number | 437 |
| Publication status | Published - 2002 |
Keywords
- Animals
- Animals, Newborn
- Disease Models, Animal
- Enterocolitis, Necrotizing
- Female
- Humans
- Infant, Newborn
- Infant, Premature, Diseases
- Inflammation Mediators
- Intestinal Mucosa
- Male
- Platelet Activating Factor
- Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors
- Prognosis
- Rats
- Risk Assessment
- Swine