NEONATAL JAUNDICE

Course overview

NEONATAL JAUNDICE OR NEONATAL HYPERBILIRUBINEMIA RESULTS FROM ELEVATED TOTAL SERUM BILIRUBIN (TSB) AND CLINICALLY MANIFESTS AS YELLOWISH DISCOLORATION OF THE SKIN, SCLERA, AND MUCOUS MEMBRANE. IN MOST CASES, IT IS A MILD, TRANSIENT, AND SELF-LIMITING CONDITION AND IS REFERRED TO AS "PHYSIOLOGICAL JAUNDICE." HOWEVER, IT IS IMPERATIVE TO DISTINGUISH THIS FROM A MORE SEVERE FORM CALLED "PATHOLOGICAL JAUNDICE." FAILURE TO IDENTIFY AND TREAT THIS ENTITY MAY RESULT IN BILIRUBIN ENCEPHALOPATHY AND ASSOCIATED NEUROLOGICAL SEQUELAE. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE ETIOLOGY, PATHOPHYSIOLOGY, EVALUATION, AND MANAGEMENT OF NEONATAL JAUNDICE AND THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN THE CARE OF AFFECTED PATIENTS.