Transcutaneous Bilirubinometers in the Community — TcB RCT  

Jaundice, Neonatal Clinical Trial

Official title: Transcutaneous Bilirubinometers in the Community and the Reduction of Morbidity Associated to Jaundice: A Clustered Randomized Controlled Trial.

Status Completed

Clinical Trial Summary

Jaundice is the most frequent reason for readmission for healthy newborns after discharge from the nursery. In the Capital Health area, around 2.5% (315 babies in 2005) of all healthy newborns were admitted to the hospital for jaundice. Although jaundice is very common, it is not always a benign condition. If left untreated, it can have devastating consequences including cerebral palsy and hearing loss. It is therefore critical to be able to identify the newborns at risk for severe jaundice. So far, heel puncture of blood collection has been the traditional method to monitor jaundice in newborns. This causes pain to infants, generates anxiety in parents, and consumes significant health care resources. The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of a new and noninvasive screening tool, the transcutaneous bilirubinometer, in detecting babies in our communities who require hospital readmission. This study will demonstrate whether incorporating transcutaneous bilirubinometer in the home care program delivered by nurses of Healthy Beginning allows the early detection of babies at risk of developing severe jaundice at a lower cost and with less discomfort.

Clinical Trial Description

n/a

Study Design

Allocation: Randomized, Endpoint Classification: Efficacy Study, Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment, Masking: Open Label, Primary Purpose: Health Services Research

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Jaundice
• Jaundice, Neonatal

• NCT number: NCT00735319
• Study type: Interventional
• Source: University of Alberta
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: September 2008
• Completion date: December 2009