Level of cardiac troponin T in relation to disease severity and outcomes in neonates with respiratory distress

: Background: Cardiac troponin T (cTnT) has been proposed as specific biochemical marker for myocardial infarction in adults. Cardiac function in neonates could be influenced by the severity of respiratory distress (RD) and its ventilatory management. Aim of the study was to investigate cTnT levels in neonates with respiratory distress as a marker of myocardial dysfunction Methods: Total sample size 100 neonate, 50 neonates with RD and 50 healthy neonates (without RD). Concentrations of cTnT were compared between sick and healthy infants, Age at sampling, need for ventilation, duration of respiratory support, and inotropic use in addition to neonatal and maternal characteristics. Results: CTnT levels were significantly higher (p<0.001) in study group (RD cases) (0.200±0.156 ng/ml) than in control group (healthy neonates) (0.034±0.019 ng/ml). Area under the ROC curve was 0.962 with best cutoff value (>0.056), sensitivity was 90%, specificity was 90%. Also, cTnT levels were significantly higher in neonates who required inotropic support when compared to those without inotropes. We found CTnT levels were significantly higher in cases who died than in cases who survived (p<0.001). Conclusion: Cardiac troponin T could be used as a useful marker for myocardial dysfunction in neonates with respiratory distress