Neonatal Unit, Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Clinical Sciences College of Medicine, Ahmadu Bello University/Teaching Hospital, Zaria, Kaduna State 810107, Nigeria.
Department of Chemical Engineering, Kaduna Polytechnic, Kaduna State 800262, Nigeria.
J Trop Pediatr. 2020 Feb 1;66(1):24-28. doi: 10.1093/tropej/fmz026.
The efficiency of a phototherapy (PT) device is a function of the irradiance delivered by the device at the surface of the skin. Because cost limits the ability of health care facilities in low- and middle-income countries to procure commercial PT devices, efforts have gone into local fabrication of devices for use in health care facilities in Nigeria. Evaluation of such fabricated devices is yet to be conducted.
To identify and document essential features of locally fabricated phototherapy (FPT) devices in use in Nigeria.
A cross sectional survey of locally FPT devices available in health facilities providing newborn health care services was conducted as part of evaluating neonatal jaundice management services in Kaduna State. Each FPT was characterized with respect to mobility/portability, adjustability, lamp type, number and color of lamps used. The irradiance of each device was measured using Model 22 Olympic BiliMeter™ at the facility's traditional PT distance and also at a distance at which optimum irradiance is delivered by the device.
A total of 54 PT devices were in use. Thirty-two (59.3%) of these devices were locally fabricated while others were obtained from commercial sources. Of the fabricated devices 22/32 (68.8%) were non-adjustable while the remaining 10 devices were adjustable but with limited adjustability. Only 5/32 (15.6%) of the FPT devices used special blue fluorescent lamps. The majority, 68.8% (22/32) of the FPT devices used ordinary low-intensity blue lamps while the remaining 5/32 (15.6%) devices used white light fluorescent lamps. None of the devices used light emitting diodes as a PT light source. Only three fabricated devices offered irradiance (9.4, 13.6 and 33 µW/cm2/nm) at the facilities' traditional distances for PT.
FPT devices in use in Kaduna, functioned sub-optimally because of technically inadequate designs. The devices will need to be designed to especially enable adjustability to vary distance between device and patient's skin and the use of lamps which offer high irradiance.
光疗（PT）设备的效率是设备在皮肤表面提供的辐照度的函数。由于成本限制了中低收入国家的医疗保健机构采购商业 PT 设备的能力，因此人们一直在努力在尼日利亚的医疗保健设施中制造设备。然而，对这些制造的设备的评估尚未进行。
确定并记录在尼日利亚使用的本地制造的光疗（FPT）设备的基本特征。
作为评估卡杜纳州新生儿黄疸管理服务的一部分，对在提供新生儿保健服务的卫生设施中使用的本地 FPT 设备进行了横断面调查。对每个 FPT 的移动性/便携性、可调节性、灯类型、使用的灯的数量和颜色进行了特征描述。使用 Model 22 Olympic BiliMeter™ 在设施的传统 PT 距离以及设备提供最佳辐照度的距离处测量每个设备的辐照度。
共有 54 台 PT 设备在使用。其中 32 台（59.3%）为本地制造，其余为商业来源。在制造的设备中，22/32（68.8%）为不可调节，而其余 10 台设备可调节但调节能力有限。只有 5/32（15.6%）的 FPT 设备使用特殊的蓝色荧光灯。大多数 68.8%（22/32）的 FPT 设备使用普通低强度蓝色灯，其余 5/32（15.6%）设备使用白色荧光灯。没有设备使用发光二极管作为 PT 光源。只有三个制造的设备在设施的传统 PT 距离下提供了辐照度（9.4、13.6 和 33µW/cm2/nm）。
在卡杜纳使用的 FPT 设备由于技术上的不足而功能不佳。这些设备需要进行设计，特别是要能够调节设备和患者皮肤之间的距离，并使用提供高辐照度的灯。
