ABSTRACT
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 Drager 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]
Conclusion: TcB measurement is a viable tool for bilirubin screening in newborns