PEDIATRICS Vol. 92 No. 1 July 1993, pp. 86-89
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow E-mail this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My File Cabinet
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via CrossRef
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Caglayan, S.
Right arrow Articles by Yaprak, I.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Caglayan, S.
Right arrow Articles by Yaprak, I.

Superiority of Oral Agar and Phototherapy Combination in the Treatment of Neonatal Hyperbilirubinemia

Suat Caglayan 1, Halil Candemir 2, Sadik Aksit 2, Savas Kansoy 2, Sezin Asik 2, and Isin Yaprak 2

1 From the Departments of Pediatrics, Ege University, Izmir, Turkey
2 From the Departments of Pediatrics, SSK Tepecik Teaching Hospital, Izmir, Turkey

Objective. To determine the value of oral agar in the treatment of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia and to compare it with two other treatment modalities: phototherapy alone and phototherapy plus oral agar.

Methods. Two hundred eight jaundiced full-term newborns were divided into four groups. They were given either phototherapy alone, phototherapy plus oral agar, oral agar alone, or no treatment (control group). The changes in the serum bilirubin values were determined and the results were compared statistically, mainly using analysis of variance.

Results. In all three therapy groups, the time required to reduce the bilirubin level to either 15 mg/dL or to 10 mg/dL was significantly shorter than that required by the control group. Although oral agar was found to be as effective as phototherapy, the most significant decrease in bilirubin level was in the combination group.

Conclusions. The efficacy of phototherapy in decreasing the serum bilirubin level in neonatal hyperbilirubinemia can be augmented with the use of oral agar. Oral agar can also be used as a single agent for the treatment of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia, since it is as effective as phototherapy.

Key Words: phototherapy • oral agar • hyperbilirubinemia • neonate

Submitted on August 24, 1992
Accepted on January 26, 1993