A bile pigment that may cause jaundice in high concentration. Use Liver Support.Encyclopedia Entry for Bilirubin :Bilirubin - urine. This test can be done on any urine sample. For an infant, thoroughly wash the area where urine exits the body. Open a urine collection bag (a plastic bag with an adhesive paper on one end). For males, place the entire penis in the bag and attach the adhesive to the skin. For females, place the bag over the labia. Diaper as usual over the secured bag. This procedure may take a few tries. An active baby can move the bag causing urine to go into the diaper. Check the infant often and change the bag after the infant has urinated into it. Drain the urine from the bag into the container provided by your health care provider. Deliver the sample to the laboratory or to your provider as soon as possible.Many medicines can interfere with blood test results. Your provider will tell you if you need to stop taking any medicines before you have this test. DO NOT stop or change your medicines without first talking to your provider.The test involves only normal urination, and there is no discomfort.This test may be done to diagnose liver or gallbladder problems.Bilirubin is not normally found in the urine.Increased levels of bilirubin in the urine may be due to: Biliary tract disease Cirrhosis Gallstones in the biliary tract Hepatitis Liver disease Tumors of the liver or gallbladder.Bilirubin can break down in light. That is why babies with jaundice are sometimes placed under blue fluorescent lamps.Conjugated bilirubin - urine; Direct bilirubin - urine.Male urinary system Male urinary system.Berk PD, Korenblat KM. Approach to the patient with jaundice or abnormal liver test results.Encyclopedia Entry for Bilirubin :Bilirubin blood test. A blood sample is needed.You should not eat or drink for at least 4 hours before the test. Your health care provider may instruct you to stop taking medicines that affect the test. Many drugs may change the bilirubin level in your blood. Make sure your provider knows which medicines you are taking.When the needle is inserted to draw blood, some people feel moderate pain. Others feel only a prick or stinging. Afterward, there may be some throbbing or a slight bruise. This soon goes away.A small amount of older red blood cells are replaced by new blood cells every day. Bilirubin is left after these older blood cells are removed. The liver helps break down bilirubin so that it can be removed from the body in the stool. A high level of bilirubin in the blood can lead to jaundice. Jaundice is a yellow color in the skin, mucus membranes, or eyes. Jaundice is the most common reason to check bilirubin level. The test will likely be ordered when: The provider is concerned about a newborn's jaundice (most newborns have some jaundice) Jaundice develops in older infants, children, and adults A bilirubin test is also ordered when the provider suspects a person has liver or gallbladder problems.It is normal to have some bilirubin in the blood. A normal level is: Direct (also called conjugated) bilirubin: less than 0.3 mg/dL (less than 5.1 mol/L) Total bilirubin: 0.1 to 1.2 mg/dL (1.71 to 20.5 mol/L) Normal value ranges may vary slightly among different laboratories. Some labs use different measurements or may test different samples. Talk to your provider about the meaning of your specific test results.In newborns, bilirubin level is higher for the first few days of life. Your child's provider must consider the following when deciding whether your baby's bilirubin level is too high: How fast the level has been rising Whether the baby was born early The baby's age Jaundice can also occur when more red blood cells than normal are broken down. This can be caused by: A blood disorder called erythroblastosis fetalis A red blood cell disorder called hemolytic anemia Transfusion reaction in which red blood cells that were given in a transfusion are destroyed by the person's immune system The following liver problems may also cause jaundice or a high bilirubin level: Scarring of the liver ( cirrhosis ) Swollen and inflamed liver ( hepatitis ) Other liver disease Disorder in which bilirubin is not processed normally by the liver ( Gilbert disease ) The following problems with gallbladder or bile ducts may cause higher bilirubin levels: Abnormal narrowing of the common bile duct ( biliary stricture ) Cancer of the pancreas or gallbladder Gallstones.Veins vary in size from one person to another and from one side of the body to the other. Obtaining a blood sample from some people may be more difficult than from others. Risks associated with having blood drawn are slight, but may include: Bleeding from where the needle was inserted Fainting or feeling lightheaded Hematoma (blood collecting under the skin) Infection (a slight risk any time the skin is broken).Total bilirubin - blood; Unconjugated bilirubin - blood; Indirect bilirubin - blood; Conjugated bilirubin - blood; Direct bilirubin - blood.Newborn jaundice - discharge.Blood test Blood test.Chernecky CC, Berger BJ. Bilirubin (total, direct [conjugated] and indirect [unconjugated]) - serum.Encyclopedia Entry for Bilirubin :Bilirubin encephalopathy. Bilirubin encephalopathy (BE) is caused by very high levels of bilirubin. Bilirubin is a yellow pigment that is created as the body gets rid of old red blood cells. High levels of bilirubin in the body can cause the skin to look yellow (jaundice). If the level of bilirubin is very high or a baby is very ill, the substance will move out of the blood and collect in the brain tissue if it is not bound to albumin (protein) in the blood. This can lead to problems such as brain damage and hearing loss. The term 'kernicterus' refers to the yellow staining caused by bilirubin. This is seen in parts of the brain on autopsy. This condition most often develops in the first week of life, but may be seen up until the third week. Some newborns with Rh hemolytic disease are at high risk for severe jaundice that can lead to this condition. Rarely, BE can develop in seemingly healthy babies.The symptoms depend on the stage of BE. Not all babies with kernicterus on autopsy have had definite symptoms. Early stage: Extreme jaundice Absent startle reflex Poor feeding or sucking Extreme sleepiness (lethargy) and low muscle tone (hypotonia) Middle stage: High-pitched cry Irritability May have arched back with neck hyperextended backwards, high muscle tone (hypertonia) Poor feeding Late stage: Stupor or coma No feeding Shrill cry Muscle rigidity, markedly arched back with neck hyperextended backwards Seizures.A blood test will show a high bilirubin level (greater than 20 to 25 mg/dL). However, there is not a direct link between bilirubin level and degree of injury. Normal value ranges may vary slightly among different laboratories. Talk to your doctor about the meaning of your specific test results.Treatment depends on how old the baby is (in hours) and whether the baby has any risk factors (such as prematurity). It may include: Light therapy (phototherapy) Exchange transfusions (removing the child's blood and replacing it with fresh donor blood or plasma).BE is a serious condition. Many infants with late-stage nervous system complications die.Complications may include: Permanent brain damage Hearing loss Death.Get medical help right away if your baby has signs of this condition.Treating jaundice or conditions that may lead to it can help prevent this problem. Infants with the first signs of jaundice have bilirubin level measured within 24 hours. If the level is high, the infant should be screened for diseases that involve the destruction of red blood cells (hemolysis). All newborns have a follow-up appointment within 2 to 3 days after leaving the hospital. This is very important for late preterm or early term babies (born more than 2 to 3 weeks before their due date).Bilirubin-induced neurologic dysfunction (BIND); Kernicterus.Newborn jaundice - discharge.Kernicterus Kernicterus.Benitz WE; Committee on Fetus and Newborn, American Academy of Pediatrics. Hospital stay for healthy term newborn infants. Pediatrics. 2015;135(5):948-953. PMID: 25917993 www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25917993. Hamati AI. Neurological complications of systemic disease: children.