Comparison between the Transcutaneous and Total Serum Bilirubin Measurement in Malay Neonates with Neonatal Jaundice

Background: This study aims to investigate the reliability of the Drager Jaundice Meter JM-105 for the screening of neonatal jaundice in Malay neonates. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in a university hospital involving 130 jaundiced neonates requiring serum bilirubin determination from day 2 to day 7 of life. Results: The mean total serum bilirubin (TSB) was 232 mu mol/L, whereas the mean transcutaneous bilirubin (TcB) measured at the forehead and sternum were 222 mu mol/L and 223 mu mol/L, respectively. Further, TcB underestimates TSB with a mean difference of 10.10 mu mol/L at the forehead and 9.27 mu mol/L at the sternum. A positive linear relationship was observed between TSB with TcB forehead (r = 0.82) and TcB sternum (r = 0.80). A good discriminations ability was observed for both the TcB forehead (receiver operating characteristics [ROC] curve = 89.8%) and sternum (ROC curve = 89.7%) at a TSB level of 205 mu mol/L. The sensitivity ranges from 84.4% to 85.3%, while the specificity ranges from 77.4% to 76.4%. Conclusion: Our study demonstrates a strong linear relationship and good diagnostic accuracy of TcB values compared to TSB values. To conclude, TcB measured at the forehead or sternum is a good alternative as a non-invasive screening tool for non-severe hyperbilirubinemia in Malay neonates.