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Background: Pediatric risk of mortality (PRISM III) score is used across the globe to predict the mortality of hospitalized children by an objective method based on 17 variables measured during first 24 h of admission in pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). Aims and Objectives: We have done this study to evaluate the cause, management and outcome of PICU admissions and also to find out the statistical significance of PRISM III score in predicting mortality. Materials and Methods: This observational prospective study was conducted for a period of 1 year in the PICU of a district Medical College of West Bengal among children 1-12 years age. They were divided into 4 groups according to the PRISM III scores of 1-10, 11-20, 21-30, and >30 and outcome in all the groups were recorded and analyzed. Results: Respiratory (25%), neurological (20.1%), and infectious (17.3%) etiology were major cause of PICU admission. About 17.4% patients needed mechanical ventilation, 31.2% Continuous Positive Airway Pressure and 66% patients inotropic support. Out of 144 cases, 117 discharged and 27 expired. Percentage of death is 100%, 44.4%, 21.6%, and 4.6% among child with PRISM III score of >30, 21-30, 11-21, and =10, respectively. Significant increase in mortality noted with increase in number of organ failures. Specificity and positive predictive value increases with higher PRISM III score and sensitivity and negative predictive value is more with low PRISM III score. Conclusion: PRISM III score can be used as a triage tool in limited resource settings for early initiation of intense management to high risk and salvageable cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hepatic dysfunction is a known complication in neonates with hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). Aims and Objectives: We conducted this study to compare hepatic function between normal and asphyxiated newborn and whether the changes in liver function vary with the grade of HIE. Materials and Methods: This observational analytical cross-sectional study was done in a rural medical college of eastern India for 1 year with 51 HIE (17 each in HIE I, II, and III group) and 51 healthy neonates as control. Biochemical parameters of liver function such as alanine transferase (ALT), aspartate transferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), total serum bilirubin (TSB), serum albumin, and prothrombin time (PT) were measured in both groups between 48 and 72 h of birth. Results: We found that TSB, liver enzymes, and PT ware significantly elevated and serum albumin reduced in HIE group in comparison to control group. However, TSB, PT, and serum albumin does not differ much among three stages of HIE. By contrast, liver enzymes increases significantly among three stages of HIE, and also, there is significant difference in ALT, AST, and ALP between survivor and non-survivor of HIE babies. Conclusion: Hence, liver function test may serve as an useful early marker of perinatal asphyxia when the history of birth asphyxia is lacking and it can also be used as a prognostic indicator as there is more rise of liver enzymes from low to high grade of HIE and from survived to expired HIE babies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]