Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 16, 2026

Dried Blood Spots - Preparing and Processing for Use in Immunoassays and in Molecular Techniques
Published on: March 13, 2015
Utility of the I-index as a pre-screening tool for total bilirubin testing: a retrospective study in a regional
Amanda Jiménez García1, Manuel Ruiz Artero2, Carmen Garcia Rabaneda2
1Hospital Valle De Los Pedroches, Análisis Clínicos, Pozoblanco, Cordoba, Spain.
Objectives:
This study evaluates the efficacy of the icteric index as a pre-screening tool for hyperbilirubinemia in adult patients.
Methods:
The use of this index would help optimize the use of clinical laboratory resources.
Results:
A retrospective analysis of 3,194 serum samples revealed a strong correlation between icteric index and total bilirubin levels (r=0.972), with an area under the ROC curve of 0.90. An index cut-off value of 1.2 yielded a sensitivity of 100 % and a specificity of 87 %. This performance guarantees the detection of the totality of hyperbilirubinemia cases and the absence of false negatives, albeit with some false positives. This method would avoid around 79 % of unnecessary total bilirubin tests, resulting in estimated annual cost savings of over 1,500 Euros.
Conclusions:
In conclusion, the icteric index is an effective, inexpensive, and safe tool for improving the diagnostic performance of laboratory tests without compromising the quality of care.
Related Concept Videos
Effect of Hepatic Disease on Pharmacokinetics: Pathophysiologic Assessment and Liver Function Test
Therapeutic Index
Automated Microbial Diagnostics
Serum Studies: Renal Function Tests
