Hana Umek
Splošna bolnišnica Brežice, Brežice, Slovenija

Gregor Nosan
Klinični oddelek za neonatologijo, Pediatrična klinika, Univerzitetni klinični center Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenija

Abstract

Asphyxia is a combination of hypoxia and hypoperfusion that impairs gas exchange and the availability of energy substrates in tissues, causing tissue acidosis. Despite advances in perinatal care perinatal asphyxia remains a common condition that can have significant long-term consequences. The most serious consequence is brain damage or hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, but other organ systems can also be significantly affected, requiring a multidisciplinary approach to the management of newborns following birth asphyxia.

Key words: asphyxia neonatorum, multiple organ failure, hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, kidney, liver, heart, gastrointestinal tract