Department of Paediatrics, Queen's Hospital, Burton Upon Trent, UK.
Ann Clin Biochem. 2010 Jan;47(Pt 1):72-7. doi: 10.1258/acb.2009.009072. Epub 2009 Nov 25.
Neonatal hyperbilirubinaemia is a common treatable cause of brain injury. The treatment for this condition is phototherapy. The decision whether to use phototherapy is currently dependent upon serum bilirubin assay results. However, repeated blood sampling is not only traumatic but may also be a cause of anaemia in neonates. We evaluated a transcutaneous bilirubin assay method to determine whether it was suitable for routine use in preterm infants.
One hundred and eighty-three transcutaneous bilirubin measurements were taken contemporaneously with blood samples for laboratory measurement of serum bilirubin. The study was carried out with informed parental consent and approval by the local research ethics committee.
The transcutaneous bilirubin method (BiliChek) exhibited a consistent positive bias compared with the laboratory bilirubin assay. Consequently, for a given detection rate, the transcutaneous method had a higher screen positive rate, i.e. more neonates would be given phototherapy if transcutaneous bilirubin results were used to decide. There was a margin of safety in the transcutaneous bilirubin assay calibration.
The BiliChek transcutaneous bilirubin assay is a safe alternative to laboratory bilirubin assay in deciding whether to give preterm neonates phototherapy.
新生儿高胆红素血症是一种常见的可治疗性脑损伤病因。这种病症的治疗方法是光疗。目前，是否采用光疗的决定取决于血清胆红素检测结果。然而，反复采血不仅会造成创伤，还可能导致新生儿贫血。我们评估了一种经皮胆红素检测方法，以确定其是否适合早产儿常规使用。
在进行实验室血清胆红素检测的同时，对 183 名早产儿进行了经皮胆红素测量。本研究获得了家长的知情同意，并得到了当地伦理委员会的批准。
与实验室胆红素检测相比，经皮胆红素检测方法（BiliChek）表现出一致的正偏差。因此，对于给定的检出率，经皮检测方法具有更高的筛检阳性率，即如果根据经皮胆红素检测结果来决定是否进行光疗，那么将有更多的新生儿接受光疗。经皮胆红素检测校准具有一定的安全裕度。
BiliChek 经皮胆红素检测在决定是否对早产儿进行光疗方面是一种安全的实验室胆红素检测替代方法。
