All issues > Volume 26(12); 1983

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1983;26(12):1179-1187. Published online December 31, 1983.

Determination of Bilirubin Concentration in the Jaundiced Korean Newborn Infants with Transcutaneous Bilirubinometer.

Man Jin Chung¹, Young Joo Suh¹, Jong Doo Kim¹, Myung Hi Shin¹, Ji Sub Oh¹

¹

Abstract

The efficacy of transcutaneous Minolta Bilirubinometer was evaluated in 169 jaundiced. Korean newborn infants, regardless the causes of jaundice, who were admitted to the pedia- tric ward and nursery of wallace Memorial Baptist Hospital, Busan, since Nov. 1981. The results were obtained as follows: 1) The transcutaneous bilirubinometer is sufficiently precise to provide a reliable indication of total serum bilirubin concentration level with the resulting coefficient of variation ranging from 1.41% to 4.7%(mean: 2.9%), and superior to the precision of dermal icterus of which coefficient of variation range from 9% to 15.6%(mean: 12.1%). 2) In Korean term infants, significant linear correlation was found to exist between transcutaneous bilirubinometer and A-0 bilirubinometer which can be expressed as; r=0. 92； p<0. 001 ；y=0.91 x+5.58. 3) The values of transcutaneous bilirubinometer obtained during phototherapy or after exchange transfusion do not correlate well with serum bilirubin measurem ent and it is not recommended in such state. 4) In term infants when the reading of transcutaneous bilirubinomenter is more than 16 OIL forehead or 17 on upper chest, invasive bilirubin measurement should be done for accurate evaluation and care. 5) The transcutaneous bilirubinometer is a valuable device in screening jaundice in healthy term infants who never receive any treatment to reduce serum bilirubin.

Keywords :Transcutaneous Bilirubinometer