title: Effectiveness of phototherapy units in Cameroon.
abstract: Neonatal hyperbilirubinemia continues to be a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in resource-limited countries. The aim of this study was to measure the effectiveness of existing phototherapy units at a local hospital in Cameroon using an irradiance meter. Phototherapy units (n = 4) in one newborn nursery in Cameroon were evaluated. The average irradiance of the functioning units was 2.87 μW/cm(2)/nm, which is substantially below the recommended range of 10-30 μW/cm(2)/nm. With simple improvements, one new prototype unit was developed. Its irradiance was 23.3 μW/cm(2)/nm. We concluded that irradiance of phototherapy units should be measured, as many local nurseries worldwide may not be delivering effective treatment. Simple and cost-effective changes to phototherapy units can make a substantial improvement in irradiance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA and Department of Energy Management, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA ksatrom@umn.edu.
authors.forename: Katie
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Satrom
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA and Department of Energy Management, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
authors.forename: Tina
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Slusher
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA and Department of Energy Management, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
authors.forename: Jared
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Satrom
mesh_terms: D001663:Bilirubin / Q000378:metabolism; D002163:Cameroon; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D051556:Hyperbilirubinemia, Neonatal / Q000628:therapy*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal / Q000592:standards; D010789:Phototherapy / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000592:standards; D011874:Radiometry / Q000379:methods; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D001663:Bilirubin
keywords: jaundice; newborn; phototherapy