Title:Perinatal Hemolytic Disorders and Identification Using End Tidal Breath
Carbon Monoxide
Volume: 19
Issue: 4
Author(s): Robert D. Christensen*, Timothy M. Bahr, Sasikarn Pakdeeto, Sarayut Supapannachart and Huayan Zhang
Affiliation:
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, University of Utah Health, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
- Women and Newborn Research, Intermountain Healthcare, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
Keywords:
Hemolysis, jaundice, anemia, fetus, neonate, end-tidal CO.
Abstract: Hemolytic disorders can cause severe morbidity or can be life-threatening. Before the recent
development of practical and inexpensive testing for hemolysis by quantifying carbon monoxide
in end-tidal breath, some hemolytic disorders in perinatal patients were not detected until severely
problematic hyperbilirubinemia and/or anemia occurred. Here we review studies aimed at establishing
the normal reference intervals for end tidal breath carbon monoxide (ETCO) in various
perinatal populations. We also review reports, and new theories, about using this methodology to
diagnose and quantify hemolytic disorders in term and premature neonates, anemic pregnant women,
and fetuses in utero. The purposes of making these measurements are to; (1) identify patients
who have hemolytic disorders, (2) characterize the severity of the hemolysis in each hemolytic patient,
and (3) predict and prevent co-morbidities, thereby improving outcomes.