The compromised Neonate Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

The compromised Neonate - Essay ExampleResults also showed that the time needed for stabilisation of bilirubin levels increases along with the gestational age of the neonate. In addition, despite the various methods employed for the treatment of neonatal jaundice and the wide ranges in the treatment levels used, thither has been an general median plateau of around 72 hours for the stabilisation of bilirubin levels in most of the neonates. However, because the date of the release of the NICE guidelines was in proximity with the release of this clause, it locoweed be inferred that the national guidelines were not yet fully disseminated in most hospitals and other neonatal units during the time the participating units were contacted, as suggested by the conclusion of the article in the high variability and wide variations in the threshold levels used among the 72 units contacted by the researchers. ... r this paper since it discusses both the use of phototherapy to treat neonatal jau ndice, as well as in discussing the importance of using guidelines in managing bilirubin levels for improving the symptoms of neonatal jaundice. Physiological spininess in the Neonate Jaundice is a condition which is caused by the accumulation of bilirubin or broken down red blood cells in various parts of the organic structure, and is most tangible as a yellow discolouration in the sclera of the eyes and on the skin starting from the head and moving down to the lower regions of the body (Robertson & South, 2007). The yellow colour is attributed to the inability of the infants bodies to rapidly catabolise foetal red blood cells through the liver and to expel these through bowel movement. While there are two forms of bilirubin circulating in the neonates blood the unconjugated bilirubin (fat-soluble) and the conjugated bilirubin (water soluble), it is the unconjugated bilirubin which causes the yellow discolouration ascribable to its fat-soluble nature earning its capacity to ent er cellular membranes and becoming deposited in tissues such as the skin, gums, and eyes (Percival, 2002). As a result the bilirubin that builds up in the bloodstream due to the slow breakdown of red blood cell catabolism can reach to about 5-7mg/dL or 85.5-119.7?mol, binding to adipose deposits within the neonatal body and causing the yellow discolouration (Varney, et al., 2004). This amount of bilirubin build-up in the infants bloodstream is enough to give by the typical yellow discolouration of the skin among those affected, with the intensity of the colour associated with an increase in bilirubin accumulation. Up to 50% of neonates are typically affected by this condition and usually does not pose grave problems unless