SUPERIORITY OF INTENSIVE PHOTOTHERAPY - BLUE DOUBLE LIGHT - IN RHESUS HEMOLYTIC-DISEASE

The purpose of the study was to investigate whether intensive phototherapy (blue double light) is superior to ordinary white single light in the treatment of rhesus haemolytic disease (RHD). 71 newborn infants suffering from RHD and with strongly positive direct Coombs' tests were illuminated with blue double light, and 104 infants illuminated with white single light. With the double light treatment, the number of late exchange transfusions was reduced to 1/6 of the number in single light treated infants thereby halving the total number of exchange transfusions. This reduction was significant in infants with mild-to-moderate RHD, as well as in infants with severe RHD. The mean maximum serum bilirubin concentration was significantly lower in the double light treated infants than in the single light treated infants. Correspondingly, significantly fewer double light treated infants than single light treated infants developed moderate or high serum bilirubin concentrations. There were no significant side effects during the phototherapy. To prevent a marked increase of the serum bilirubin concentration after discontinuation of the double light treatment, this therapy was followed by single light treatment. It can be concluded that intensive phototherapy is superior to ordinary phototherapy in the treatment of RHD. © 1979 Springer-Verlag.