What is phototherapy?
Phototherapy is a branch of the so-called physical therapy. Here the patient is irradiated with blue light. This rather short-wave light transfers its energy to the irradiated skin and can thus develop its therapeutic effect. Phototherapy is most frequently used for newborns, but it can also be used for various skin diseases. During phototherapy it is important to protect the eyes from the incoming light, otherwise the retina can be damaged.
Phototherapy helps with these diseases
In pediatric medicine, phototherapy is used for newborns with jaundice (neonatal jaundice). This is an inherently harmless disease that occurs in the newborn. In this very early phase of life, the red blood pigment of the children changes, so that a particularly large number of blood cells must be broken down.
At the same time, the child’s liver is often not yet fully mature, so that it is overstrained with the breakdown of the blood pigment. This disease can be seen in the yellowing of the skin, among other things. This is where the bilirubin, a temporary breakdown product of the blood pigment, is stored.
Through phototherapy, the deposited bilirubin can be converted into lumirubin. In this form, it can be excreted via the kidneys and bile, so that the liver is not burdened. Phototherapy prevents the bilirubin from being deposited in the brain at very high concentrations and causing permanent damage.
In addition to neonatal jaundice, skin diseases in particular can be treated with phototherapy. These include, for example, atopic eczema and psoriasis (psoriasis). Other eczemas can also be treated well locally. Phototherapy is also effective against skin diseases in cases of skin changes due to a severe kidney dysfunction or a systemic disease such as HIV.
Duration of phototherapy
Phototherapy is usually started in the newborn immediately after the elevated bilirubin levels are detected. It is usually applied for 24 hours and then the bilirubin level in the blood is checked again. If it has fallen below a certain limit, the therapy can be terminated. However, if the level is still above the limit, phototherapy is continued for another 24 hours. If the therapy is started early enough, treatment for more than 48 hours is rarely necessary.
