Usefulness of serum lipid peroxide as a diagnostic test for hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy in the full-term neonate

Objective:to evaluate the usefulness of serum lipid peroxide (lpo) for hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (hie) in full-term neonates.study design:diagnostic test evaluation forming three groups: (1) healthy full-term neonates (n=59), (2) at-risk full-term neonates without hie (n=57) and (3) at-risk full-term neonates with hie (n=57). hie diagnosis was made using the finer clinical classification at 48 h after birth. serum lpo was taken at 4 h after birth and determined by spectrophotometry.result:one hundred seventy-three full-term neonates were studied. fifty-one of the at-risk full-term neonates with hie (51/57) had high serum lpo and two of the at-risk full-term neonates without hie (2/57) (p<0.001). serum lpo level had 89% sensitivity, 96% specificity, 96% positive predictive value, 90% negative predictive value, 24 positive probability ratio, 0.11 negative probability ratio and 92% diagnostic usefulness.conclusion:serum lpo level could be a useful test for early diagnosis of hie in full-term neonates.