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A 48-hour-old male infant is ordered to have phototherapy. When his mother questions the nurse about its purpose, the nurse explains that phototherapy:
A. Prevents the development of ophthalmia neonatorum
B. Assists the baby’s clotting mechanism
C. Breaks down bilirubin in the skin into substances that can be excreted in stool or urine
D. Increases levels of unconjugated bilirubin, thereby preventing kernicterus (brain damage)
Correct Answer: C
Explanation/Reference:
Explanation:
(A) The instillation of erythromycin ophthalmic preparation, not phototherapy, prevents ophthalmia neonatorum. (B) The administration of vitamin K (AquaMEPHYTON) assists the infant’s clotting mechanism. (C) Excessive bilirubin accumulates when the infant’s liver cannothandle the increased load caused by the breakdown of red blood cells postnatally. This excessive bilirubin seeps out of the blood and into the tissues, staining them yellow. Phototherapy accelerates the removal of bilirubin from the skin by breaking it down into substances that can be excreted in stool or urine. (D)Phototherapy decreases levels of unconjugated bilirubin, thereby preventing kernicterus.
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