A prospective randomized controlled study of phototherapy using blue and blue-green light-emitting devices, and conventional halogen-quartz phototherapy.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the efficacy of blue versus blue-green phototherapy using new light sources with narrow luminous spectra. The devices made of high-intensity gallium nitride light-emitting diodes (LEDs) were also compared to conventional halogen-quartz bulbs phototherapy.

DESIGN

Prospective open randomized study.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 114 jaundiced, but otherwise healthy term infants who met the entry criteria for phototherapy set by the American Academy of Pediatrics' Practice Parameter.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

The duration of phototherapy and the rate of decrease in total serum bilirubin (TSB).

RESULTS

The mean TSB concentrations at initiation and termination of treatment, as well as the duration of phototherapy and the rate of decrease in TSB, were not statistically different in newborns receiving blue LED, blue-green LED or conventional phototherapy. The average rate of decrease in TSB (slope), after adjustment by a linear regression analysis for confounding factors, was -3.61 micromol/hour (95% confidence limits -5.47, -1.75) in the 25 newborns receiving blue LED phototherapy compared with -2.57 micromol/hour (-4.32, -0.82) in the 22 newborns treated with blue-green LED phototherapy and -3.42 micromol/hour (-5.02, -1.81) in the 57 newborns who received conventional phototherapy.

CONCLUSIONS

When using low light irradiance, there was no statistically significant difference in the effectiveness of phototherapy using blue-green LEDs, blue LEDs or conventional halogen-quartz bulbs.