[Hypoxic myoglobinemia in severe neonatal disorders of adaptation to extrauterine life].

In two series of newborns needing intensive care the presence, the degree and the prognostic value of myoglobinaemia was examined. In series I. of hypoxic newborns the myoglobinaemia was present even in infants requiring less than 60% O2 therapy. The serum myoglobin value was significantly higher in cases needing oxygen therapy over 60% oxygen. This was most pronounced in the critically severe and progressive cases. In series II. of 34 consecutive cases of hypoxic newborns exceeding 7 nM/l proved to have a prognostic value indicating critically severe course or fatal outcome of the disease. The myoglobinaemia observed in the present study may explain the effectivity of the peritoneal dialysis therapy introduced previously by us in severe hypoxic newborns. This possibility was supported by further observations on the transperitoneal passage of myoglobin in 4 renal hilus ligated and peritoneally dialyzed newborn piglets. In conclusion, early detection of the elevated myoglobinaemia in severely hypoxic newborns has a definite prognostic value and its degree can be used in the indication of peritoneal dialysis.