ORGAN PATHOLOGY FOLLOWING MILD HYPOTHERMIA USED AS NEURAL RESCUE THERAPY IN NEWBORN PIGLETS

The aim of this study was to assess the possible adverse effects of hy pothermia, used as neural rescue therapy in a neu born piglet model, S ixteen newborn piglets were subjected to transient cerebral hypoxia-is chaemia by temporary occlusion of the carotid arteries and reduction o f the fractional inspired oxygen to 0.12. On resuscitation 11 piglets were maintained normothermic (38.5-39.0 degrees C) and, in order to as sess the cerebroprotective effect of hypothermia, 5 piglets were coole d to 35 degrees C for 12 h before normothermia was resumed, At 48 or 6 4 h following resuscitation the animals were sacrificed and the heart, left kidney, specimens of distal small bowel, lung and liver were rem oved and histologically sectioned, No microscopic abnormalities of the heart, bowel or lung were observed in hypothermic or normothermic ani mals. Al kidney specimens were normal except one from the normothermic group, Abnormal liver pathology suggestive of hypoperfusion injury wa s found in 5 normothermic and 3 hypothermic piglets, Then was no signi ficant difference in the proportion of piglets with liver abnormality between the two groups. Mild hypothermia following cerebral hypoxia-is chaemia in the newborn piglet was not associated with an increased inc idence of non-cerebral organ damage, The hepatic injury observed may b e related to umbilical venous catheterisation and has potential releva nce to neonatal intensive care.