Urinary uric acid or urinary creatinine ratio as a non-invasive marker for perinatal asphyxia

Background: Perinatal asphyxia is amongst the common problem of neonates and there exists a significant contribution to the neonatal morbidity and mortality. It is observed as a common and a vital cause of the preventable cerebral injury. The prediction of the perinatal asphyxial outcome is very important but dreadful. There is a limited role for APGAR score to predict the immediate outcome, like HIE and the long-term neurological sequelae observational error may happen in APGAR. But the biochemical parameters can truly be relied upon. This study was done to assess urinary uric acid/urinary creatinine ratio (UA/Cr) as a non-invasive marker for perinatal asphyxia and co-relate its absolute value to the degree of the perinatal asphyxia.Methods: In this prospective case control study conducted in the Pediatrics Department of Shri Ram Murti Smarak Institute of Medical Sciences between Nov 2017 to May 2019, 42 asphyxiated and 42 non-asphyxiated newborns were included. Detailed history and assessment were for all the enrolled newborns. Spot urine samples were sent for the uric acid and creatinine estimation. Results were documented, and statistical analysis was performed.Results: Urinary uric acid to creatinine ratio used as additional non-invasive, early and easy biochemical marker of the birth asphyxia that biochemically supports severity grading and clinical diagnosis of the asphyxia by APGAR score.Conclusions: The ratio of the urinary uric acid and creatinine enables rapid and early recognition of asphyxial injury and also the evaluation of its severity and potential for short-term morbidity or death.

Peripheral cytopenia in children: a hospital-based study

Background: Peripheral cytopenia with its ramifications as pancytopenia and bicytopenia is a common hematological phenomenon in children. Its etiology ranging from benign self-limiting illness to severe life-threatening conditions decide the management and prognosis in these children. This study aims to describe the clinical, haematological and etiological profile of peripheral blood cytopenia in children of Rohilkhand region.Methods: A hospital based prospective observational study conducted in the Pediatric ward of a teaching hospital over a period of 30 months. All children between age 6 months to 14 years with bicytopenia and pancytopenia on hemogram were included. Detailed history, clinical examination, haematological tests followed by bone marrow aspiration wherever indicated was performed. Additional tests like parasitological and sepsis work up was undertaken on case to case basis, to ascertain the cause of cytopenia.Results: Bicytopenia was more common than pancytopenia (61.2% vs. 38.8%) The most common age group observed was 10-14 years. Normocytic normochromic blood picture was seen in all cases of cytopenia while macrocytic normochromic blood picture had statistically significant association with pancytopenia. Fever was the commonest symptom, while pallor was the commonest sign followed by hepatosplenomegaly. Most common etiology in bicytopenia was infective (68%) while pancytopenia reported equal incidence of infective (50%) and non-infective causes. Malaria was the commonest infective cause of bicytopenia (46.3%) and pancytopenia (27%). Children with bicytopenia had higher incidence of malignancy (22% vs. 7.7%) and lesser incidence of nutritional causes (7.3% vs. 27%), and aplastic anemia (2.4% vs. 15.4%) as compared to pancytopenia.Conclusions: Clinical assessment coupled with haematological tests plays a pivotal role in ascertaining the cause of cytopenia in children. As the etiologies are varied, their knowledge and distribution unique to a particular region may help in better management and outcome.

Unilateral palatal palsy with viral hepatitis.

Isolated unilateral palatal (velopalatopharyngeal) palsy is a clinical rarity. This usually presents in a child as acute onset rhinolalia, unilateral absent palatal reflex and pharyngeal asymmetry with a benign self-resolving course. Etiology remains controversial. We report association of this entity in a male child with viral hepatitis A.

Polymerase chain reaction in rapid diagnosis of neonatal sepsis.

In a prospective study a total of hundred neonates who fulfilled the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology's (ACOG) criteria for probable sepsis admitted to NICU of tertiary care armed forces hospital were investigated for evidence of sepsis. The investigation protocol included sepsis screen, blood culture and 1 mL of venous blood for molecular analysis by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for bacterial DNA component encoding 16 s RNA in all cases. 100 newborns with probable sepsis were studied to evaluate the molecular diagnosis of sepsis using PCR amplification of 16 S RNA in newborns with risk factors for sepsis or those who have clinical evidence of sepsis. We compared the results of PCR with blood culture and other markers of sepsis screen (total leucocyte count (TLC), absolute neutrophil count (ANC), immature/total neutrophil count ratio (I/T ratio), peripheral blood smear, micro ESR and C reactive protein (CRP). Controls consisted of 30 normal healthy newborns with no overt evidence of sepsis. Sepsis screen was positive in 24 (24%) of cases in study group with sensitivity and specificity of 100% and 83.5% respectively. Blood culture was positive in 09(9%t) with sensitivity of 69.2% and specificity of 100%. PCR was positive in 13(13%) of cases (9% are both blood culture and sepsis screen positive and 4% are positive by sepsis screen); the sensitivity of PCR was 100% and specificity was 95.6%. Blood culture is the most reliable method for diagnosis of neonatal sepsis. Polymerase chain reaction is useful and superior to blood culture for early diagnosis of sepsis in neonates.