Overview:
Transcutaneous bilirubin (TcB) testing is a noninvasive method used to estimate total serum bilirubin (TSB) in newborns. This presentation will cover the need for screening for hyperbilirubinemia in newborns, how TcB testing is used to estimate TSB, and will discuss challenges in point of care testing oversight of TcB programs.
Speaker:
Dr. Heather Paul is a Clinical Biochemist for Alberta Precision Laboratories and is based in Calgary, Alberta. She works in both Point of Care Testing, for which she is the South Sector Point of Care Medical Lead, and Chemistry, where she is the Clinical Biochemist for the Chemistry Laboratories in two Regional Hospitals and several Rural Hospitals in Calgary and Southern Alberta. She is also the Clinical Biochemist for First Trimester Screening in Southern Alberta and one of the Co-Directors of the Calgary Clinical Biochemistry Fellowship Program.
Dr. Paul completed her Fellowship in Clinical Biochemistry in Calgary in 2020, was CACB certified in 2021, and became a Diplomate of the American Academy of Clinical Chemistry earlier this year. Her interests include maternal and newborn care, acute care medicine, rural healthcare, and teaching in laboratory medicine.
Learning Objectives:
At the conclusion of this session, participants will be able to:
1) Understand transcutaneous bilirubin (TcB) measurements and their use in jaundice management in newborns
2) Recognize challenges in analytical validation of TcB meters
3) Discuss approaches to long-term monitoring of TcB meter performance