Neonatal phototherapy: Monitoring the optimal dose.

Abstract

Introduction: Phototherapy is the treatment for neonatal jaundice, but it must ensure a sufficient "dose" of irradiated light in the correct spectral band and over a sufficiently large skin surface. Several types of phototherapy equipment have been developed to meet this technical requirement; even currently on the market, there is high light intensity equipment that allows intensive phototherapy to be applied.

Purpose of the review: This review aims to answer the following questions: How do we determine if phototherapy equipment emits sufficient light intensity to ensure the treatment dose? Regarding equipment maintenance, the leading guideline used in most neonatology units is the number of hours of use, but is it the proper parameter?

Recent findings: With this review, we invite health professionals in neonatology units to speak regarding irradiance, understood as the measure to determine the ideal time for maintenance and replacement of the lights of the phototherapy equipment and thus ensure an effective treatment in neonates.

Conclusion: Devices with LED technology must be verified with irradiance emissions >10 μ W/cm2/nm to guarantee bilirubin degradation.