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[Marked variations in phototherapy policy for neonatal jaundice in Dutch centers]
C M Waals-van de Wal1, F B Plötz, L A Kollée
1Academisch Ziekenhuis, afd. Kindergeneeskunde, Nijmegen.
Objective:
To determine what guidelines are used in Dutch hospitals in the management of neonatal hyperbilirubinaemia.
Design:
Descriptive.
Material And Method:
Paediatricians in 63 hospitals were sent a standard guideline diagram of phototherapy management and asked to describe how their management differed. The 10 neonatal intensive care units in the Netherlands were asked to send their phototherapy guidelines in more detail.
Results:
Thirty-four hospitals (54%) and the 10 neonatal centres (100%) responded. The data obtained showed no general agreement; several different guidelines were used, notably with respect to the serum bilirubin concentration levels and the number of postnatal hours.
Conclusion:
We recommend that consensus should be reached on the use of phototherapy. A more restricted use of phototherapy probably would save costs without loss of quality.