The correlation between myocardial function and cerebral hemodynamics in term infants with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy

Abstract

This study investigated the effect of myocardial dysfunction on the cerebral hemodynamics in term infants with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). We evaluated myocardial systolic and diastolic functional parameters and cerebral hemodynamic parameters in 40 term newborn infants with HIE and 30 healthy controls during the first 14 days of life using two-dimensional/pulsed Doppler ultrasound. The results showed that there were significant cerebral hemodynamic disturbances and cardiac dysfunction in neonates with HIE, and the more cardiac dysfunction the patients have, the more severe encephalopathy they would suffer. Therefore, it is important to preserve cardiac function and treat myocardial dysfunction in infants with HIE. © 2007 Oxford University Press.