Low-cost home-use light-emitting-diode phototherapy as an alternative to conventional methods.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

The aim of our study was to evaluate whether a portable, light-weight, light-emitting-diode phototherapy unit designed for home use is as effective as conventional blue-light fluorescent phototherapy (CFP) for treating hyperbilirubinemia in neonates.

METHODS:

A total of 50 patients were recruited sequentially for treatment using CFP (n = 25) and the home-type phototherapy unit (n = 25).

RESULTS:

The average rate of decrease in bilirubin levels was 0.17 ± 0.02 and 0.20 ± 0.01 mg/dL/hours at the end of 24 hours in the groups receiving phototherapy by CFP and home-type phototherapy units, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference in the rate of the decrease in bilirubin levels between the groups (p = 0.104).

CONCLUSIONS:

It has been shown that the home-type phototherapy unit is as effective as CFP units in the treatment of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia and has the potential to become a standard of care for treatment of jaundiced neonates.

• Authors: Aygen Yilmaz, Servet Ozkiraz, Abdullah Baris Akcan, Murat Canpolat
• Journal: Journal of tropical pediatrics (J Trop Pediatr) Vol. 61 Issue 2 Pg. 113-8 (Apr 2015) ISSN: 1465-3664 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 25617633 (Publication Type: Evaluation Study, Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: © The Author [2015]. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: [email protected].

Chemical References

• Bilirubin

Topics

• Bilirubin (blood)
• Costs and Cost Analysis
• Female
• Humans
• Hyperbilirubinemia, Neonatal (blood, therapy)
• Infant, Newborn
• Light
• Male
• Phototherapy (economics, instrumentation, methods)
• Time Factors
• Treatment Outcome
• Turkey