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Jaundice - yellow skin

• Overview
• Treatment

Alternative Names:

Yellow skin and eyes; Skin - yellow; Icterus; Eyes - yellow; Jaundice

Home Care:

The cause of jaundice must be determined before treatment can be given. Follow prescribed therapy to treat the underlying cause.

Call your health care provider if:

ALL jaundice in an infant, child, or adult should be medically evaluated. ALWAYS call your doctor if jaundice is present.

What to expect at your health care provider's office:

The health care provider will perform a physical examination. To help diagnose the cause of yellow skin, your health care provider will ask medical history questions, such as:

• Is the inside of the mouth (mucous membranes) yellow?
• Are the eyes yellow?
• When did the jaundice start?
• Has the jaundice occurred repeatedly?
• What other symptoms are present?

The following diagnostic tests may be performed:

• Blood serum bilirubin
• Liver function tests and cholesterol
• Prothrombin time
• Complete blood count
• Ultrasound of the abdomen
• Liver biopsy
• Urine and fecal urobilinogen

Prevention:

Feed babies frequently and don't let them become dehydrated.

With jaundice, the important thing to prevent is kernicterus -- toxic levels of bilirubin accumulating in the brain. Early identification and treatment of jaundice will usually prevent kernicterus, whatever the cause.

Beyond this, jaundice is a symptom of other problems that have their own prevention strategies.

References:

Moyer V, Freese DK, Whitington PF, Olson AD, Brewer F, Colletti RB, Heyman MB. Guideline for the evaluation of cholestatic jaundice in infants: recommendations of the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr . 2004 Aug;39(2):115-28.

American Academy of Pediatrics Subcommittee on Neonatal Hyperbilirubinemia. Neonatal jaundice and kernicterus. Pediatrics . 2001; 108(3): 763-765.

• Review Date: 8/18/2006
• Reviewed By: Benjamin W. Van Voorhees, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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