[Serum bilirubin in an obvious healthy population (author's transl)]

An unselected sample of a population aged between 15 and 45 years shows an average level of serum bilirubin of 0,624 plus or minus 0.251 mg p. c. in 1862 test persons. The distribution graphes are slightly inclined to the left and their peaks are for both sexes and in all age groups between 0.50 and 0.69 mg p. c. The results are independent of the age (between 15 and 45 years). Male persons on an average show a significant higher level of serum bilirubin than female persons (0.677 : 0.566 mg p. c.). In 93.5 p. c. of all men and in 97.1 p. c. of all women the level of serum bilirubin is under 1.1 mg p. c. In the sample 6.0 p. c. of the test persons show a level of serum bilirubin above 1.09 mg p. c. Serum bilirubin levels of 1.1 mg p. c. and higher are defined as hyperbilirubinemia. These patients have to be controlled carefully, because in the fifth part of them it is found an organic cause and in the major part of the rest there is indication for a functional distrubance in bilirubin metabolism.