Effect of sling application on efficacy of phototherapy in healthy term neonates with nonhemolytic jaundice: a randomized conrolled trial.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the efficacy of white reflecting material (slings) hung from the sides of compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) phototherapy equipment in reducing the duration of phototherapy in healthy term neonates with non-hemolytic jaundice.


METHODS
Randomized controlled trial.


METHODS
Postnatal ward of a tertiary level neonatal unit.


METHODS
Healthy term neonates with non-hemolytic jaundice between 24 hours and 10 days of age were randomly assigned to receive single surface phototherapy with (n=42) or without slings (n=42).


METHODS
Duration of phototherapy in hours (h) and the requirement of exchange transfusion.


RESULTS
Birthweight (2790+/-352 vs. 2923+/-330 g), gestation (38+/-1.3 vs. 37+/-1.0 wk) and initial serum total bilirubin (STB) (16.6+/-2.4 vs. 16.1+/-2.2 mg/dL) were comparable between the two groups. There was no significant difference in the duration of phototherapy (mean+/-SD) between the Sling (23.3+/-12.9 h) and No sling (24.9+/-15.4 h) groups (P=0.6). The irradiance of photo-therapy equipment (microwatt/cm2, mean+/-SD) was higher in Sling group compared to No sling group (195.8+/-24.2 versus 179.7+/-27.7, P=0.01). There was a trend towards a higher rate of fall of serum total bilirubin (mg/dL, mean +/-SD) in the Sling group (0.23+/-0.49) compared to No sling group (0.03+/-0.47) (P=0.06).


CONCLUSIONS
Though hanging of white reflective sling on sides of CFL phototherapy equipment resulted in marginal increase in irradiance, it did not decrease the duration of phototherapy.
Sivanandan
Sindhu
S
Division of Neonatology, WHO Collaborating Centre for Training and Research in Newborn Care, Department of Pediatrics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi 110 029, India.
Chawla
Deepak
D
Misra
Satish
S
Agarwal
Ramesh
R
Deorari
Ashok K
AK
D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007567:Jaundice, Neonatal / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D010789:Phototherapy / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods