Prognosis of newborn infants with hypoxic-ischemic brain injury assessed by phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy

Abstract

To investigate the prognostic significance of abnormalities of oxidative phosphorylation, the brains of 61 newborn infants born at 27-42 wk of gestation and suspected of hypoxic-ischemic brain injury were examined by surface-coil phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Of these infants, 23 died, and the neurodevelopmen-tal status of the 38 survivors was assessed at 1 y of age. Of the 28 infants whose phosphocreatine/inorganic ortho-phosphate (PCr/Pi) ratios fell below 95% confidence limits for normal infants, 19 died, and of the nine survivors, seven had serious multiple impairments (sensitivity 74%, specificity 92%, positive predictive value for unfavorable outcome 93%). Of the 12 infants with ATP/total phosphorus ratios below 95% confidence limits 11 died (sensitivity 47%, specificity 97%, positive predictive value 91%). Among the 46 infants with increased cerebral echodensi-ties, PCr/Pi was more likely to be low, and prognosis poor, in infants whose echodensities were diffuse or indicated intraparenchymal hemorrhage than in infants whose echodensities were consistent with periventricular leuko-malacia. We conclude that when reduced values for PCr/ Pi indicating severely impaired oxidative phosphorylation are found in the brains of infants suspected of hypoxic-ischemic injury, the prognosis for survival without serious multiple impairments is very poor, and that when ATP/ total phosphorus is reduced, death is almost inevitable. © 1989 International Pediatric Research Foundation, Inc.