DIAGNOSTIC VALIDITY OF PERFUSION INDEX FOR PREDICTING CIRCULATORY COMPROMISE AND NEONATAL MORTALITY IN A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL.

Background: Neonatal mortality continues to be a major global health challenge, in developing countries where healthcare resources are limited.Early recognition of circulatory compromise is vital in preventing progression to shock, multi-organ dysfunction, and death. Objectives:1. Assess Perfusion Index as an early predictor for need for Inotropic support 2. To study the neonatal outcome with Perfusion Index. Correlation of Perfusion index with duration of NICU stay.Methods: A Prospective observational study was conducted in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of a tertiary care hospital over a period of two years.A total of 100 term and preterm neonates Perfusion index was measured on the day 1 of admission and again on Day 3 of admission, clinical course was monitored with attention to need for ionotropic support, duration of hospital stays and outcome of the patient.Patients who required ionotropic support or died had low Results: PI values than who did not, on both day 1 and day 3.Those on inotropes, the mean PI on day 1 was 1.29 ± 0.32 compared with 1.46 ± 0.39 (p=0.001), and on day 3 it was 1.31 ± 0.43 versus 1.32 ± 0.39 (p