COMPARISON OF THE EFFECT OF INTERMITTENT VERSUS CONTINUOUS PHOTOTHERAPY FOR REDUCING NEONATAL HYPERBILIRUBINEMIA.

This study was conducted to compare the efficacy of intermittent and continuous phototherapy.

Materials & Methods: This controlled randomized clinical trial study was performed on 96 full-term neonates admitted in the neonatal ward of Besat hospital of Hamadan city with indirect hyperbilirubinemia. The neonates were randomly divided into two groups. Continuous phototherapy group received phototherapy on and off for two hours and half respectively. The intermittent group received phototherapy on and off for one hour. Phototherapy units and phototherapy condition in two groups were equal. Total serum bilirubin levels in two groups were measured 12, 24, 36, 48 hours after starting phototherapy. Two groups were matched regarding weight, age, and risk factors such as ABO and Rh incompatibility. The data were analyzed by t-test.

Results: There was no significant difference between two groups in age, weight, and mean total serum bilirubin at the start of phototherapy and also after 12, 24, 36, 48 hours. (P>0.05). The mean hospitalization time in the intermittent group was 34 hours (SD=8.8) and in the continuous group was 33.2 hours (SD=8). There was no significant difference between both groups (P>0.05). No one in two groups needed an exchange blood transfusion.

Conclusion: Based on our study, intermittent phototherapy (1 hour on and 1 hour off ) is as effective as continuous phototherapy (2 hours on and half an hour off) in reducing total serum bilirubin level in full term neonates.