Patient's question:
After my baby was discharged from the hospital, they went to another hospital for screening. The doctor there checked and said the baby had very high jaundice levels, so they were admitted for treatment. At midnight, they informed us that the jaundice level had reached over 500 and recommended we go to a major hospital for a blood transfusion. I want to ask if a jaundice level of 500 is serious?Doctor's answer:
The baby's jaundice level has reached 500. This indicates that her entire body, skin, and sclera will be severely jaundiced. It is recommended to seek medical attention promptly, undergo blood tests, abdominal ultrasound, confirm the type of jaundice, receive blue light therapy, and actively treat the condition in the hospital to avoid bilirubin encephalopathy. The level of bilirubin in the blood exceeds 342, which is bilirubin encephalopathy. Blue light therapy or blood exchange therapy is required. Bilirubin encephalopathy may cause damage to the brain in Chile. Bilirubin invades the basal ganglia of the brain, which is known as kernicterus.