Clinical value of hypoxanthine concentration assays in diagnosis of hypoxia in newborns

: The purpose of this study was to asses the usefulness of hypoxanthine (HYP) concentration as an indicator of hypoxia. Concentration of HYP (HPLC method) in the umbilical arterial cord blood was determined in 145 newborns. Newborns were studied in four groups: premature asphyxiated, term asphyxiated, premature non-asphyxiated, term non-asphyxiated. Newborns were classified as hypoxic if they had: pH < 7.15, BE < -7.0 mmol or PaO2 < 10 mmHg. Reduced umbilical arterial pH, PaO2 and BE correlated directly with increased concentrations of HYP. The highest correlations were observed for HYP and PaO2. The levels of HYP for asphyxiated and non-asphyxiated newborns were different. The results show that HYP concentration is an important indicator in detection of asphyxia in newborns. Strong correlation between parameters of acid base balance and HYP concentration was observed in the studied groups. Increased concentration of HYP confirms intrauterine hypoxia independently of maturity.