[Role of early laboratory parameters in treatment of cooled asphyxiated infants]

Laboratory tests performed at a specific time point of the hypoxic injury may help the clinical care of neonates with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy and could provide additional information to determine the severity of the initial insult more precisely. Additionally, laboratory biomarkers may be useful to predict the neurodevelopmental outcome of these infants, which is especially important for parents and caregivers. Moreover, multi-organ dysfunction frequently complicates the clinical presentation of neonates with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, and the appropriate treatment can also be facilitated by the analysis of laboratory tests. In our review article, we discuss the most important routinely measured and specific laboratory parameters, grouped by organ systems, hoping that we can thereby contribute to the improvement of the complex clinical care of asphyxiated, cooled neonates. Orv Hetil. 2024; 165(47): 1843–1853.