Item W5. Date of Admission

Q: For inborn infants, the date of admission is the Date of Birth. This statement is erroneous as an infant can be admitted from post-partum floor on any day after the birthday. The date of Admission should be the date the baby is admitted to the NICU, whether on the day of birth or any other day.


A: To clarify, Item W5. Date of Admission, refers to Date of Admission to your hospital which may or may not be the NICU. This is a different variable from Item 7b. Age of Days in Admission to NICU. Regardless, Day 1 is equal to the Day of Birth. For example, an inborn baby's Date of Admission to your hospital (Item W5) = 1, but this infant could possibly be admitted to your NICU at 28 days of life.


Item W8. Date of Initial Discharge, Transfer or Death

Q: For inborn infants who transferred from one unit to another, how should I record them in Item W8?


A: The Date of Initial Disposition is used to calculate Initial Length of Stay in Part A of the Length of Stay Calculation Worksheet. The Date of Initial Disposition is the date that the infant was discharged home from your hospital, the date the infant was transferred from your center to another hospital, the date of death OR the date of the infant's first birthday, whichever is soonest. Infants transferred from one unit or another within your hospital is NOT considered to have been transferred or discharged. Transfers refer to transfers between in-patient facilities.