Relationship between values of serum bilirubin as determined by two methods: implications for the management of neonatal jaundice
Owa, J.A.
East African Medical Journal 65(2): 92-98
1988
ISSN/ISBN: 0012-835X PMID: 3402375 Document Number: 309361
The values of serum bilirubin (SBR) obtained by two methods of determination in two nearby hospitals of Ife University Hospital Complex are compared. The two methods are the Malloy and Evelyn (M-E) and a Bilirubinometer method. Sixty two paired samples collected from the same patients at the same time were analysed. The M.E. method gave higher values in 55 (89%) of the cases. The range values for M-E method and the Bilirubinometer respectively were 3.7-43.8mg/dl (with mean of 13.0 .+-. 6.3 mg/dl) and 1-26.3mg/dl (mean of 9.4 .+-. 5.9 mg/dl) with P value of 0.001. The disparity between the values recorded by the two methods was unacceptably wide. There was however a good positive correlation (r=0.81) between the two methods and linear regression equation between them was determined. These wide variations in SBR values create problems when patients are transferred between hospitals and limit clinical usefulness of correlating SBR values with risk of kernicterus. The regression equation indicate that the expected value by one method can be derived from a given value on the other. It is concluded that the universal use of common standards and spectrophotometric method or Bilirubinometers will improve neonatal bilirubin determinations.