All issues > Volume 47(12); 2004

Original Article

Korean J Pediatr. 2004;47(12):1287-1292. Published online December 15, 2004.

Usefulness of the Transcutaneous Bilirubinometer in Neonatal Jaundice

Joo Ran JR An¹, Sung Won SW Park¹, Hee Chul HC Lee¹, Kyung Ah KA Kim¹, Sun Young SY Ko¹, Yeon Kyung YK Lee¹, Son Moon SM Shin¹

¹Department of Pediatrics, Samsung Cheil Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea

Correspondence Son Moon SM Shin ,Email: smshin@smc.or.kr

Abstract

Purpose
: To test the usefulness of a new jaundice meter, the JM-103(Minolta/Hill-Rom Air-shields, Japan) which uses a new probe to compensate for different skin pigmentation or thickness, and displayed actual bilirubin level instead of an index number as in the previous model, the JM-102, we compared transcutaneous bilirubin(TCB) with plasma bilirubin(PB) in newborn infants.
Methods
: TCB was measured on 114 newborn infants aged 3 to 6 days with jaundice meter JM- 103, using one to five flashes. TCB was measured on the forehead(glabella; TCB-F) and on the chest(sternum; TCB-C) of the same infant at the same time. PB was measured by American Optical bilirubinometer within 30 minutes after TCB measurement. TCB was compared with PB, and the difference of TCB according to the using preset numbers of flashing times was studied.
Results
: There was significant correlation between PB and TCB, regardless of the measuring site and the numbers of flashing during measurement.
Conclusion
: The New transcutaneous bilirubinometer, the JM-103 would be a useful screening device in neonatal jaundice.

Keywords :Transcutaneous bilirubinometer, Neonatal jaundice