Transcutaneous bilirubin measurement correlation with : total serum bilirubin in healthy newborns

Abstract EN

Objective: To evaluate the relation between the transcutaneous bilirubin (TcB) measurement and the total serum bilirubin (TSB) measurement in the newborns in Bahrain.

Setting: Salmaniya Medical Complex and Jidhafs Maternity Hospital, Bahrain.

Design: A Prospective Study.

Method: Newborns from May to September 2015 were included in the study.

Serial transcutaneous bilirubin (TcB) measurements were obtained utilizing the Dräger Jaundice Meter JM-103.

Simultaneously, TSB measurements were performed for comparison.

Result: Eighty-eight newborns were included.

One hundred twenty-eight transcutaneous bilirubin TcB measurements were paired with TSB measurement.

The mean ± SD of (TcB–TSB) difference for the 128 paired measurements was 1.09 ± 2.16 mg/dL, with differences ranging from 6.18 mg/ dL to 7.00 mg/dL.

The correlation between the paired measurements was 0.75 (P-value < 0.0005).