Can transcutaneous bilirubinometry reduce the need for blood tests in jaundiced full term babies?
Background: Previous studies have suggested that transcutaneous bilirubinometry (TcB) may provide a useful method for screening for significant jaundice, thereby reducing unnecessary blood tests. These studies have not allowed an estimation of the magnitude of such a benefit. Objectives: To evaluate the accuracy of TcB as a method of determining the need for serum bilirubin (SBR) measurements in full term babies and to quantify the magnitude of any benefit. Subjects: Babies born at more than 34 weeks gestation who had not previously been exposed to phototherapy and were requiring blood sampling in the first week of life. Method: TcB measurements were made at the same time as blood sampling. SBR was measured in all blood samples. For jaundiced babies, the ability of TcB to detect significant jaundice (SBR > 249 μmol/l) was evaluated. Results: There was a correlation between SBR and TcB measurements (n = 303, r = 0.76, p < 0.0001), but the 95% prediction interval for SBR from TcB was wid
