Myocardial Performance Index as a Marker of Myocardial Injury in Neonates with Perinatal Asphyxia

Background Perinatal asphyxia (PA) is a leading cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality, often causing myocardial injury due to hypoxic-ischemic damage. Myocardial dysfunction following PA can be assessed by evaluating the myocardial performance index (MPI) Objective To evaluate the myocardial performance index (MPI) as a non-invasive indicator of myocardial injury in neonates with PA aged 12–24 hours compared to healthy controls. Methods In a case-control study, 100 term neonates with PA and 100 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were assessed using Doppler echocardiography (Esaote My Lab 30 Gold). Left and right ventricular MPI were measured and compared. Results The median (IQR) of the left ventricular MPI [0.54 ms (0.47–0.63) vs 0.47 ms (0.42–0.54); p < 0.001] was higher in cases than controls. The median (IQR) of the right ventricular MPI [ 0.43 ms (0.35–0.50) vs 0.39 ms (0.35–0.45); p = 0.013 was higher in cases than controls. Conclusions MPI is significantly higher in asphyxiated neonates than in controls. MPI is a sensitive, non-invasive tool for detecting myocardial injury in neonates with PA, offering potential for early diagnosis and intervention. Clinical Trial Registration : Not applicable