Bilirubin Sentence Examples

bilirubin
  • As conjugated bilirubin is water-soluble it will be excreted in the urine which becomes dark.

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  • Haematoidin in normal metabolism is largely excreted by the liver in the form of bilirubin.

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  • In hepatogenous pigmentation (icterus or jaundice) we have the iron-free pigment modified and transformed by the action of the liver cells into bile pigment (bilirubin).

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  • Ten days post-transfusion she developed cramps, a raised bilirubin, falling Hb and a positive DAT (IgG ).

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  • Jaundice is caused by too much of a yellow substance called bilirubin building up in the body.

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  • Thirty patients at moderate risk of CBD stones (moderately increased bilirubin, normal CBD) underwent IOC.

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  • The jaundice is deep with itchy skin, pale stools and dark urine containing bilirubin but no urobilinogen.

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  • Jaundice is common in newborns as the liver is not sufficiently developed to efficiently remove bilirubin.

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  • Normal lab values and when to change Total bilirubin (normal range) 3 -- 17 mmol/l.

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  • Therefore, any failure of the bilirubin removal pathway will lead to a build-up of bilirubin in the blood.

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  • In these situations the hepatocellular function is normal but overwhelmed and so the increased bilirubin is for the most part unconjugated.

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  • Elevation of total bilirubin was more significantly suppressed in the PG group than in the control group.

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  • Baseline elevations of several liver function tests (especially elevated bilirubin) should preclude the use of riluzole (see section 4.8 ).

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  • Hepatocellular function is normal (although it may deteriorate in prolonged obstruction) so the excess plasma bilirubin is chiefly conjugated.

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  • When this occurs, the changed bilirubin appears in the urine and turns the urine brown.

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  • At 14.25 hours the serum bilirubin test showed raised bilirubin test showed raised bilirubin and it was decided to give phototherapy, which was commenced at 16.00 hours.

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  • All the liver tests should be normal apart from the serum bilirubin, which is increased.

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  • Transient moderate elevations of ASAT, ALAT and alkaline phosphatases and/or bilirubin have been reported.

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  • Routine blood tests revealed abnormal liver function tests in the form of raised alkaline phosphatase, AST, ALT and normal bilirubin.

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  • Forty patients at high risk of CBD stones (increased bilirubin, increased alkaline phosphatase and a dilated CBD) underwent preoperative ERCP.

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  • Elevated bilirubin, alanine transaminase and lactate dehydrogenase concentrations are indicative of hepatocellular injury.

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  • Bile is a liquid mixture of cholesterol, bile salts, and waste products, including bilirubin, which the liver excretes through thousands of tiny biliary ducts to the intestine, where the bile aids in the digestive process of dietary fats.

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  • The major pigment in bile is a chemical called bilirubin, which is yellow.

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  • Bilirubin is a breakdown product of hemoglobin (the red chemical in blood that carries oxygen).

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  • If the body accumulates an excess of bilirubin, it turns yellow (jaundiced).

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  • The infant has yellow eyes and skin and dark yellow or brown urine due to build-up of bilirubin, and the stools are probably light-colored.

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  • Jaundice-A condition in which the skin and whites of the eyes take on a yellowish color due to an increase of bilirubin (a compound produced by the liver) in the blood.

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  • Neonatal jaundice is the term used when a newborn has an excessive amount of bilirubin in the blood.

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  • Bilirubin is a yellowish-red pigment that is formed and released into the bloodstream when red blood cells are broken down.

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  • Jaundice comes from the French word jaune, which means yellow; thus a jaundiced baby is one whose skin color appears yellow due to bilirubin.

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  • Normally, small amounts of bilirubin are found in everyone's blood.

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  • When too much bilirubin is made, the excess is discarded into the bloodstream and deposited in tissues for temporary storage.

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  • In the neonate, however, there is more bilirubin than can be handled due to immature liver functioning and extra red blood cells that break down.

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  • Thus, the extra bilirubin remains in the tissues.

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  • Infants of East Asian and Native American descent have higher levels of bilirubin than white infants, who in turn have higher bilirubin levels than infants of African descent.

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  • First, infants have too many red blood cells and it is a natural process for the body to break down these excess red blood cells to form a large amount of bilirubin.

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  • It is this bilirubin that causes the skin to take on a yellowish color.

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  • Second, the newborn's liver is immature and cannot process bilirubin as quickly as the infant will be able to when older.

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  • This slow processing of bilirubin has nothing to do with liver disease.

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  • It merely means that the baby's liver is not as fully developed as it will be; thus, there is some delay in eliminating the bilirubin.

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  • It is also possible for jaundice to appear in infants with physical defects in the organs that work to eliminate bilirubin from the body.

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  • As the excess bilirubin builds up in the newborn, jaundice appears first in the face and upper body and progresses downward toward the toes.

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  • Jaundice can be observed with the naked eye, but it is too difficult to estimate the variation in levels of bilirubin in that manner.

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  • Thus, if an infant begins to appear jaundiced, bilirubin levels will be ordered to determine the severity.

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  • Jaundice usually becomes apparent when total bilirubin levels exceed 5 mg/dL; however, the clinical significance of bilirubin levels depends on postnatal age in hours.

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  • A bilirubin level of 12 mg/dL may be pathologic in an infant younger than 48 hours but is benign in an infant older than 72 hours.

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  • Light at this wavelength converts bilirubin to a water-soluble form that can be excreted in the bile or urine.

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  • Since phototherapy acts by altering the bilirubin that is deposited in the tissue, the area of the skin exposed to phototherapy should be maximized.

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  • Infants receiving home phototherapy need daily visits by a nurse, who performs a physical examination and measures the total serum bilirubin level.

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  • If bilirubin levels continue to rise, hospital readmission should be considered.

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  • Discontinuation of home phototherapy is safe once the total serum bilirubin level has decreased to less than 15 mg/dL in healthy full-term infants older than four days.

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  • Potential side effects of phototherapy used for elevated bilirubin levels, include watery diarrhea, increased water loss, skin rash, and transient bronzing of the skin.

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  • Increased feedings can increase peristalsis and meconium passage, decreasing bilirubin resorption into circulation.

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  • It should be considered if the total serum bilirubin level is approaching 20 mg/dL and continues to rise despite intense in-hospital phototherapy.

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  • It also removes about 60 percent of bilirubin from the plasma, resulting in a clearance of about 30 percent to 40 percent of the total bilirubin.

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  • If a transfusion is not performed and bilirubin levels get higher, the infant progresses through three phases.

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  • It rarely occurs with bilirubin levels lower than 20 mg/dL but typically occurs when levels exceed 30 mg/dL.

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  • Elevated bilirubin in the neonate is the most common reason for hospital readmission in the first two weeks of life.

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  • Bilirubin-induced complications can be prevented by introducing a neonatal jaundice protocol to identify infants at risk for significant bilirubin increases, by ensuring adequate parental education and providing for follow-up care.

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  • Kernicterus-A potentially lethal disease of newborns caused by excessive accumulation of the bile pigment bilirubin in tissues of the central nervous system.

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  • Hyperbilirubinemia-A condition characterized by a high level of bilirubin in the blood.

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  • Bilirubin is a natural byproduct of the breakdown of red blood cells, however, a high level of bilirubin may indicate a problem with the liver.

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  • Bilirubin is a breakdown product of red blood cells.

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  • Heme (component of hemoglobin in red blood cells that carries oxygen throughout the body) is broken down into bilirubin, which moves to the liver where it is processed and added to bile, a digestive fluid.

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  • Infants are born with excess red blood cells that are rapidly recycled by the spleen and liver, releasing bilirubin.

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  • If more bilirubin is produced than can be processed by the liver, blood levels of bilirubin rise, and the excess is deposited in tissues causing the skin to appear yellow.

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  • Prior to birth the mother's liver processes bilirubin for the fetus.

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  • At birth, particularly with preterm births, an infant's immature liver may not be able to process all of the bilirubin formed as red blood cells are removed from circulation.

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  • This process, called hemolysis, is accompanied by the release of excess amounts of bilirubin.

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  • Biliary atresia-the underdevelopment, inflammation, or obstruction of the bile ducts that carry bile from the liver to the gall bladder and small intestine-causes bile to build up in the liver and forces the bilirubin into the blood.

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  • Infants who are discharged from the hospital before bilirubin levels begin to rise, about three days after birth, should have their bilirubin level tested within a few days, particularly if they were preterm infants.

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  • A simple blood test, with a few drops of blood taken from the infant's heel, measures bilirubin levels in the blood.

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  • The test may be repeated frequently in a jaundiced newborn to assure that bilirubin levels are dropping.

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  • The Minolta/Hill-Rom Air-Shields Transcutaneous Jaundice Meter accurately measures bilirubin levels by shining lights of different colors through the skin and measuring the reflection, eliminating the need for blood tests via heel pricks.

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  • The child may be given additional fluids, possibly intravenously, to help remove the bilirubin.

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  • Frequent feedings lead to more frequent stools, which reduces the reabsorption of bilirubin from the intestines into the blood.

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  • Breast milk usually is considered superior to water or formula for relieving jaundice because breast milk produces stool with every feeding, thereby excreting bilirubin.

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  • If an infant's bilirubin levels are quite high or rising rapidly, phototherapy can prevent complications.

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  • A high-intensity, cool, blue-fluorescent light is absorbed by the bilirubin and converts it into a harmless form than can be excreted in the bile and urine.

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  • Other photo-therapy methods-such as a fiber optic bilirubin blanket-incorporate the light into a blanket so that the child can be breastfed during treatment or treated at home.

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  • Phototherapy is continued until bilirubin levels have returned to normal, usually within a few days.

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  • If bilirubin approaches a dangerous level, an exchange blood transfusion is used to rapidly lower it.

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  • Prolonged breast-milk jaundice may require breast-feeding to be halted for a few days until bilirubin levels drop.

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  • Biliary atresia-An obstruction or inflammation of a bile duct that causes bilirubin to back up into the liver.

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  • Although breast milk is an effective treatment for jaundice, breastfed babies may receive fewer calories than formula-fed babies during the first days of life, causing bilirubin levels to rise.

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  • Straw, pink, yellow, or amber pigments (xanthochromia) are abnormal and indicate the presence of bilirubin, hemoglobin, red blood cells, or increased protein.

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  • The destroyed red blood cells release the blood's red pigment (hemoglobin) which degrades into a yellow substance called bilirubin.

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  • Bilirubin is normally produced as red blood cells die, but the body is only equipped to handle a certain low level of bilirubin in the bloodstream at one time.

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  • Erythroblastosis fetalis overwhelms the removal system, and high levels of bilirubin accumulate, causing hyperbilirubinemia, a condition in which the baby becomes jaundiced.

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  • The term kernicterus means that bilirubin is being deposited in the brain, possibly causing permanent damage.

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  • Other blood tests reveal anemia, abnormal blood counts, and high levels of bilirubin.

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  • Complications are indicated by high levels of bilirubin in the amniotic fluid or baby's blood or if the ultrasound reveals hydrops fetalis.

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  • If bilirubin levels in amniotic fluid remain normal, the pregnancy can be allowed to continue to term and spontaneous labor.

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  • If bilirubin levels are elevated, indicating impending intrauterine death, the fetus can be given intrauterine transfusions at ten-day to two-week intervals, generally until 32 to 34 weeks gestation, when delivery should be performed.

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  • In early pregnancy if the baby's bilirubin levels are gravely high, PUBS (cordocentesis) is performed.

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  • This light causes changes in how the bilirubin molecule is shaped, which makes it easier to excrete.

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  • A bilirubin test is a diagnostic blood test performed to measure levels of bile pigment in an individual's blood serum and to help evaluate liver function.

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  • The bilirubin test is an important part of routine newborn (neonatal) diagnostic screening tests.

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  • The level of bilirubin in a newborn's blood serum is measured to determine if the circulating level of bilirubin is normal or abnormal.

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  • Bilirubin is a yellow-orange bile pigment produced during the breakdown of hemoglobin, the iron-bearing and oxygen-carrying protein in red blood cells.

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  • All individuals produce bilirubin daily as part of the normal turnover of red cells.

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  • Neonatal bilirubin screening often reveals an elevated bilirubin (hyperbilirubinemia).

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  • The bilirubin test will determine if hyperbilirubinemia is present and, along with other diagnostic tests, help determine if the condition is relatively normal (benign) or possibly related to liver function problems or other conditions.

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  • Usually all newborns (neonates) delivered in the hospital will have total serum bilirubin (TSB) measured in the clinical laboratory on one or more blood samples as requested by attending pediatricians.

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  • In the TSB test, spectrophotometry is used to identify and quantify the amount of bilirubin in a specific amount of serum by measuring the amount of ultraviolet light absorbed by bilirubin pigment in the sample.

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  • The amount of total bilirubin in circulating blood can be calculated from the results of a single bilirubin test.

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  • As a waste product, bilirubin is filtered out of blood (cleared) by the liver and excreted in bile, eliminated normally in stool produced by the large intestine.

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  • However, immediately after birth, more bilirubin is produced than the infant's immature liver can handle, and the excess remains circulating in the blood.

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  • Visual evaluation of jaundice is not considered a reliable way, however, to determine its cause or the risk of continued rising of bilirubin and possible complications.

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  • Performing bilirubin tests is the first step in making sure that normal degrees of jaundice do not become more severe and that liver dysfunction or other causative conditions, if present, are identified and treated early.

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  • Persistent elevated levels of bilirubin in the body can place infants at risk of neurotoxicity or bilirubin-induced neurologic dysfunction (BIND).

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  • The risk of liver dysfunction has been shown to be higher in infants who were born before term (less than 37 weeks' gestation) or who have other abnormalities in addition to an elevated total serum bilirubin.

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  • Some pediatricians order bilirubin tests at defined times within 24 to 48 hours after birth to monitor the rate of increase of bilirubin and to help determine associated risks on an individual basis.

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  • Infants with a low rate of rise in bilirubin (less than 17mg/dL per hour) are considered lower risk and are likely to be discharged without further testing or treatment.

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  • Some newborns are placed under special lamps (phototherapy) to help correct the jaundice caused by elevated bilirubin levels and to bring down the bilirubin level.

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  • After discharge from the hospital, about 25 percent of otherwise healthy infants who are still showing signs of jaundice may continue to be tested for bilirubin levels.

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  • Performance of the bilirubin test itself is a precaution against the serious consequences that can occur when bilirubin levels continue to rise in jaundiced infants.

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  • Visual jaundice present at birth may predict rapid rises in bilirubin and risk of liver dysfunction or other abnormalities.

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  • No preparation is needed before performing bilirubin tests on infants' blood samples.

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  • Spectrophotometry-A testing method that measures the amount of ultraviolet light absorbed by specific substances such as bilirubin pigment.

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  • A spectrophotometer can accurately measure how much bilirubin is in a blood sample and the result can be compared to known normal values.

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  • The performance of bilirubin tests carries no significant risk.

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  • Not performing bilirubin tests, however, may have significant risks for some infants.

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  • Infants with rising bilirubin levels are at risk of neurotoxicity and developing kernicterus, making the monitoring of bilirubin in the first week of life critical for these infants.

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  • During the first seven days of the infant's life, TBS results are rated for risk of bilirubin toxicity or bilirubinrelated brain damage within percentile ranges representing degrees of hyperbilirubinemia.

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  • Parents will usually be informed by the pediatrician about any risks associated with an elevated bilirubin, such as liver dysfunction or possible kernicterus.

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  • Parents concerned about these risks can be made aware that bilirubin levels usually return to normal in most infants (more than 60%) and the related jaundice goes away gradually.

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  • Repeat testing is necessary to monitor bilirubin levels.

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  • Parents should be aware that, although the baby's heel may be bruised, elevated bilirubin levels can cause serious complications, and testing is critical to help prevent them.

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  • Too much bilirubin can cause brain damage, though with medical technology this is usually prevented.

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