End Tidal Carbon Monoxide: A New Method to Detect Hyperbilirubinemia in Newborns

Jaundice is the most common medical condition affecting term and preterm infants. Hyperbilirubinemia, if left untreated can have devastating neurological outcomes in the infant. Current methods used to detect hyperbilirubinemia include visual inspection, transcutaneous testing and blood sampling. This article will discuss end tidal carbon monoxide testing and its use in determining hyperbilirubinemia. A brief review of hyperbilirubinemia and bilirubin physiology will be addressed. A review of the literature will examine the accuracy and efficacy of end tidal carbon monoxide testing and its use in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).