Jaundice is the most common clinical condition in the neonatal period and the most common problem of the new-borns. This is a passing condition for most new-borns and it is not harmful. It happens due to a higher level of bilirubin. Bilirubin is an endogenic antioxidant which protects the baby from the free radicals in the first days of life. However, it can be neurotoxic in higher quantities and can cause brain damage. Therefore, it is important to determine and evaluate the level of jaundice with the new-born baby and to closely follow the situation. Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to describe the jaundice of new-born babies and with the conducted survey find out similarities of the clinical assessment and the measurements of the concentrations of transcutaneous and serum bilirubin of new-borns. Methods: We reviewed the literature, collected and analyzed data. Literature was collected in well-known Internet search databases such as CINAHL, COBISS, DiKUL, MEDLINE, ScienceDirect. We conducted a prospective and coherent analysis. 50 healthy newborns were included in the analysis. All of them were over 36 weeks and weighed more than 2500 grams. We analyzed neonates in whom visual jaundice is present, which requires observation. A visual examination was performed on each newborn and the degree of jaundice was determined based on what was seen according to the Kramar scale. In addition to capillary blood sampling, we also performed transcutaneous measurement of bilirubin in three different areas, namely on the forehead, chest and between the shoulder blades. We correlated the visual assessment of jaundice with measurements of transcutaneous and serum bilirubin concentrations in neonates. Results: The research team falsely (according to the Kramar scale) visually evaluated the level of bilirubin in the blood of new-born babies (in 52% of all cases). We found out that the deviations and differences of measured level of bilirubin concentration in the serum and from transcutaneous measurements are caused according to the body part where these measurements were conducted. The results showed that the best and most common place was between the shoulder blades where these deviations were the lowest. Discussion and conclusion: Neonatal jaundice is one of the most common problems faced by pediatricians and community nurses. The field of assessment and determination of jaundice in new-borns needs to be further investigated, the findings introduced into clinical practice and thus enable even better care and treatment of jaundiced new-borns.
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