Kernicterus in an adult. - treatment for adults with kernicterus

Jun 13, 2017 · Kernicterus is very rare in adults. The conditions that cause it most often affect infants. It’s possible for adults to develop high bilirubin levels, but almost never kernicterus.Author: Stephanie Watson.

Kernicterus is a rare kind of preventable brain damage that can happen in newborns with jaundice. Jaundice is a yellow coloring of the skin and other tissues that affects about 60%-80% of infants.

Kernicterus is a bilirubin-induced brain dysfunction. The term was coined in 1904 by Schmorl. Bilirubin is a naturally occurring substance in the body of humans and many other animals, but it is neurotoxic when its concentration in the blood is too high, a condition known as hyperbilirubinemia.Specialty: Psychiatry, Neurology, Pediatrics.

Apr 02, 2014 · However, kernicterus has been reported to occur in near-term infants with serum bilirubin levels as low as 20.7 mg/dL and, more recently, in preterm infants with peak total serum bilirubin as low as 13.1 mg/dL. Whether this was a statistical aberration or a true treatment effect is unclear.