Comparison Study between Serum and Transcutaneous Bilirubin Measurement with Special Reference to Gestational Age

OBJECTIVE To compare blirubin level of transcutaneous bilirubinometer with serum blirubin in term and pre-term newborn. METHODS This prospective analytic study were carried out at NICU of tertiary care center from May to September 2014, which include total 410 neonates (250 term& 180 preterm neonates) during the study period. Simultaneous plasma and transcutaneous (sternal regions) bilirubin assay were performed in term and pre-term newborns. Neonates were divided in 3 groups according to their gestational age, group-1 (28wk-33 wk), group-2 (34wk-37wk) and group-3 (38wk -41wk). RESULTS There were strong correlation between plasma and mean transcutaneous blirubin assay measured in sternal region in group-3 newborn (CV=0.49, r=0.8599, p0.001) and group-2 (CV=0.18, r=0.4521, pgreater than0.001) suggestive of wide variation in transcutaneous blirubin value& serum blirubin value. CONCLUSIONIn pre-term newborn transcutaneous bilirubinometry is less accurate than in term newborns, as results are affected by the immature skin and by a different albumin-to-bilirubin binding