COMPARISON OF TRANSCUTANEOUS BILIRUBIN AND TOTAL SERUM BILIRUBIN MEASUREMENTS DURING AND AFTER PHOTOTHERAPY IN JAUNDICED PRETERM NEONATES

Background: Neonatal jaundice causes morbidity in premature neonates (Kemper et al., 2022). An accurate, non-invasive method of bilirubin estimation can help minimize painful blood sampling, reduce blood losses and guarantee timely intervention. Objective: This study aims to correlate the levels of transcutaneous bilirubin (TCB) with total serum bilirubin (TSB). We will check these levels during and after phototherapy in preterm newborns. We want to assess the reliability of TCB readings during and after phototherapy when a skin patch is covered. Methods: This prospective study was conducted at Mahatma Gandhi Medical College & Hospital, Jaipur, from January 2023 to June 2024. 100 preterm neonates (28 to <37 weeks GA) requiring phototherapy were enrolled. TCB was measured using the Dräger JM-103 Jaundice Meter. A skin patch was covered using aluminium foil. The Pearson correlation coefficients were used to compare between TCB and TSB. Results:There was a significant association between TCB and TSB. For 28–32 weeks GA, the correlation was r = 0.77 (p < .001) during phototherapy and r = 0.82 (p < .001) after phototherapy. For 32–37 weeks GA, the correlation was r = 0.79 (p < .001) during phototherapy and r = 0.84 (p < .001) after phototherapy. Conclusion: TCB is a reliable non-invasive method for bilirubin estimation during and after phototherapy when we shield a skin patch. It may help reduce unnecessary blood sampling in preterm neonates which is so important to reduce anemia.