Some aspects of bilirubin determination in the newborn using dimethyl sulfoxide

Although serum bilirubin determination is a common procedure in most clinical laboratories, the test seems to be of particular importance in the screening of neonates, especially the premature or the erythroblastotic infant. However, bilirubin determination is subject to interferences, particularly in the presence of hemolysis and lipemia, which may seriously affect the results. It is, therefore, of paramount importance to the pediatrician to be aware of these potential shortcomings of the test. To improve the reliability of bilirubin determination, a method using dimethyl sulfoxide is proposed which is simple, rapid, and ideally-suited for small amounts of blood such as are commonly encountered in pediatrics. The effect of hymolysis and moderate lipemia are minimal, and the use of a sample blank can usually be eliminated in most circumstances.