title: The utility of inpatient rebound bilirubin levels in infants readmitted after birth hospitalization for hyperbilirubinemia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  There are few data evaluating the role of inpatient rebound bilirubin levels in the management of infants readmitted after their birth hospitalization for indirect hyperbilirubinemia. The goal of the present study was to evaluate the clinical utility of inpatient rebound bilirubin levels within this patient population.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective cohort study was conducted of 226 infants readmitted after their birth hospitalization for indirect hyperbilirubinemia. Data from 130 infants with rebound bilirubin levels drawn at a mean of 6.1±2.4 hours after discontinuation of phototherapy were compared with data from 96 infants without rebound bilirubin levels. The primary outcome was readmission to the hospital, and secondary outcomes included length of stay and discharge time. A subgroup analysis compared characteristics of children who required repeat phototherapy versus those who did not.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, 5 of 130 patients from the rebound group were readmitted compared with 4 of 96 patients from the no-rebound group (P=.98). Length of stay was significantly longer for patients with rebound bilirubin levels (27.7 vs 23.2 hours; P=.001). Patients with bilirubin levels lowered to ≤14 mg/dL were less likely to receive repeat phototherapy than those with levels>14 mg/dL (2 of 129 vs 12 of 97; P=.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Early inpatient rebound bilirubin levels do not successfully predict which patients will require hospital readmission for repeat phototherapy. Children with bilirubin levels lowered to ≤14 mg/dL with phototherapy are unlikely to receive repeat phototherapy.
authors: Department of Pediatrics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut adam.berkwitt@yale.edu.
authors: Adam
authors: A
authors: Berkwitt
authors: Department of Pediatrics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.
authors: Rachel
authors: R
authors: Osborn
authors: Department of Pediatrics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.
authors: Matthew
authors: M
authors: Grossman
mesh_terms: D001663:Bilirubin / Q000097:blood*; D019411:Clinical Laboratory Techniques / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003237:Connecticut / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D051556:Hyperbilirubinemia, Neonatal / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010359:Patient Readmission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010789:Phototherapy / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019233:Retreatment / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D001663:Bilirubin
keywords: infant; jaundice; length of stay; phototherapy; readmission