Hematocrit POC analyzer Bilistick®

bilirubinbloodserum

Neonatal hyperbilirubinemia occurs in more than 60% of term newborns and is characterized by a peak of serum bilirubin between the 3-5th day of life, returning to normal values ​​in about 2 weeks. In some cases, the level of bilirubin in the blood remain too high even more, leading to severe hyperbilirubinemia in about 10% of the jaundice infants. If caught in time, the most common treatment is phototherapy, but if not the baby risks to develop kernicterus, an irreversible pathology characterized by a severe disability due to neurological damage. This creates the need for a system able to control the levels of bilirubin during the first days after birth in a simple and quick way. Our Challenge Such a common condition needs to be managed so that the discomfort for the patients and their family is reduced to the minimum. Nowadays jaundice is diagnosed on time almost always, but how do they do it? A blood test is required to check the levels of bilirubin. That can be hard on such a little body, not to mention the fact that the risk of haemolysis is very high and in that case a new test is needed, taking a second sample from a blood vessel of the baby. Secondly, to perform the exam the patient needs to be in the hospital. Often that means that the whole family has to go back and forth from the hospital, which is not just unpleasant, but also expensive. Thirdly, the family needs to wait for the results of the test in the hospital, sometimes for hours, in order to know the final decision of the doctor on the need for phototherapy. Not to mention that the family has to be taken care of in the meantime.