Efficacy of phototherapy in non-haemolytic hyperbilirubinaemia (original) (raw)

Clinical experience of phototherapy for non-haemolytic hyperbilirubinaemia in 3999 infants in Kandang Kerbau Hospital, Singapore, is documented. Phototherapy was most effective in extremely preterm infants with very low birth weight (gestation-32 weeks, birth weight ei1500 g) and least effective in full term infants with very low birth weight (gestation >37 weeks, birth weight si1500 g) and large preterm infants (gestation <37 weeks, birth weight >2270 g). Overall, phototherapy was effective in almost all the infants, with a failure rate of only 2-00/1000 infants. No characteristic features common to all the failures could be detected. The bilirubin rebound was usually mild; repeat phototherapy was required in only 30 infants (7-50/ 1000), with the response to the second exposure comparable to that to the first. No infant required a third exposure. All the infants tolerated phototherapy well, none developing any illness that could be attributed to the treatment. This clinical experience shows that phototherapy for the treatment of nonhaemolytic hyperbilirubinaemia is effective and safe.

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