Predicting the need for exchange transfusion in newborn infants. A comparison of five methods.

The need for exchange transfusion was analyzed retrospectively using several different methods (total bilirubin binding capacity, birth weight, plasma protein level, and two published charts). These predictive methods were applied to 175 jaundiced infants for whom all the data were available and to 19 infants who were actually exchanged. Most of the patients were sick, premature infants. This study demonstrates the lack of agreement among the predictive methods.