[Double phototherapy with Wallaby optic fibers versus conventional phototherapy. Case reports]

Pediatr Med Chir. 1997 May-Jun;19(3):187-91.
[Article in Italian]

Abstract

The authors have valued the efficacy of the double phototherapy with fiberoptic Wallaby vs conventional phototherapy in 2 groups of term infants, without any complication at birth, utilized respectively as study group and control group. While conventional phototherapy produced a bilirubin reduction of 0.60 +/- 0.26% per hour (with a total reduction of 28.1 +/- 11.1%), the double phototherapy was statistically more effective (p < 0.05) then conventional phototherapy causing a bilirubin reduction of 0.73 +/- 0.28% (with a total reduction of 33.3 +/- 9.5%). At 24 hour after the interruption of the treatment 9 newborns of the study group (36%) and 7 of the control group (28%) presented a rebound effect (increase of the bilirubinemia more than 17 mumol/l), but without a statistical difference (p > 0.05). Our study shows that double phototherapy with Wallaby fiberoptic and conventional phototherapy represent a valid strategy in the treatment of the non haemolytic neonatal hyperbilirubinemia, because, compared to conventional phototherapy, double phototherapy is more effective and reduces the period of the treatment, showing a simple management of the jaundiced newborn.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Comparative Study
  • English Abstract
  • Randomized Controlled Trial

MeSH terms

  • Bilirubin / blood
  • Fiber Optic Technology / instrumentation
  • Humans
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Jaundice, Neonatal / blood
  • Jaundice, Neonatal / therapy
  • Phototherapy / instrumentation
  • Phototherapy / methods*
  • Phototherapy / statistics & numerical data
  • Time Factors

Substances

  • Bilirubin