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Effect of early clinical management on metabolic acidemia in neonates with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy

Journal of Perinatology (2024)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Objective

To determine the safety and effectiveness of sodium bicarbonate administration in the management of metabolic acidemia and short-term outcomes in neonates with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE).

Study design

Retrospective cohort study of neonates born at ≥35 weeks of gestation and receiving therapeutic hypothermia. Demographics, pH, lactate, base deficit, treatment, MRI findings, seizure incidence, death prior to discharge were collected.

Results

There was higher mortality (p = 0.010) and injury on MRI (p = 0.008)—primarily deep gray matter (p < 0.001) and cortical injury (p = 0.003)—in the bicarbonate group compared to controls in univariate analysis. The combined outcome of death or abnormal MRI was not significantly associated (OR 1.97, 95% CI 0.80–4.87, p = 0.141) with bicarbonate administration when adjusting for sex, 5-minute Apgar, and initial base deficit.

Conclusion

This study demonstrated association between bicarbonate use after HIE and negative short-term outcomes. Future prospective trials could overcome the treatment bias limitation demonstrated in this retrospective study.

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Fig. 1
Fig. 2: Primary outcomes between the group receiving bicarbonate and those who did not (no treatment).

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Data availability

The de-identified dataset generated and analyzed in the current study is available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Medicine, Creighton University, Omaha, NE, USA

    Erastus Thuo

  2. Department of Biostatistics, College of Public Health, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA

    Elizabeth R. Lyden

  3. Department of Pediatrics, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA

    Eric S. Peeples

  4. Child Health Research Institute, Omaha, NE, USA

    Eric S. Peeples

  5. Children’s Nebraska, Omaha, NE, USA

    Eric S. Peeples

Authors
  1. Erastus Thuo
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  2. Elizabeth R. Lyden
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  3. Eric S. Peeples
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Contributions

ESP and ET contributed to study design, interpretation of the data, drafted the initial manuscript, and reviewed and critically revised the manuscript. ERL performed the analysis, contributed to interpretation of the data, and reviewed and critically revised the manuscript. All authors approved the final manuscript as submitted and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Eric S. Peeples.

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Competing interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

Ethics approval and consent to participate

This study was approved by the University of Nebraska Medical Center Institutional Review Board (0205-22-EX) with waiver of consent.

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Thuo, E., Lyden, E.R. & Peeples, E.S. Effect of early clinical management on metabolic acidemia in neonates with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. J Perinatol (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41372-024-02005-2

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