Grading of perinatal asphyxia by clinical parameters and agreement between this grading and Sarnat & Sarnat stages without measures.

A cross sectional study was done in Neonatal unit of Dhaka Shishu Hospital (DSH) to develop a grading system of perinatal asphyxia by clinical parameters, to show an agreement between this grading and Sarnat & Sarnat stages and to assess the outcome. Consecutive 60 cases of asphyxiated term newborn, aged between 0-48 hours were enrolled in this study who were classified according to new proposed scoring and Sarnat & Sarnat staging system simultaneously on same set up. All asphyxiated cases were managed as per protocol of neonatal unit of this hospital and followed up accordingly till 3 months of age. Out of 60 cases, sarnat stage-I cases were 16 of which all were mild according to proposed scoring system. Sarnat stage-II cases were 20 and among them 2 were mild, 16 were moderate and 2 were severe according to proposed scoring system. Sarnat stage-III cases were 24, among them 24 were severe according to proposed scoring system. The level of agreement between proposed scoring & Sarnat staging was 93.3% where kappa value was 0.899. Overall mortality of asphyxiated cases was 33.3%. About 42.9% of Sarnat stage-II and 80%(8) of Sarnat stage-III cases had neurological deficit whereas 50%(3) of moderate and 80%(4) of severely asphyxiated cases had neurological deficit on follow up at 3 months of age. Brief clinical grading system is more convenient & easier than that of Sarnat & Sarnat staging. But it is also equally as effective as Sarnat staging in classifying asphyxiated babies into different grades & to assess the outcome of perinatal asphyxia.