Adult, child: Total: 0.3–1 mg/dL; SI units: 1.7–20.5 nmol/L
Direct: 0.1–0.3 mg/dL; SI units: 1.7–5.1 nmol/L
Indirect: 0.1–0.8 mg/dL; SI units: 1.7–12 nmol/L
Newborn: 1–12 mg/dL; SI units: 17.1–205 nmol/L
Critical Level: Newborn: >15 mg/dL; SI units: >257 nmol/L
. Red-top tube.
■ Bilirubin is a by-product of the the breakdown of hemoglobin.
■ Most bilirubin is chemically attached (conjugated) to another
substance. This is called direct bilirubin. Unconjugated
builirubin is called indirect bilirubin. Conjugated bilirubin is
excreted in bile.
■ High bilirubin levels cause jaundice and are seen in liver disease
and biliary obstruction.
■ In newborns, elevated bilirubin occurs with Rh or ABO
incompatibility. Brain jaundice (kernicterus) develops at higher
levels and can result in mental retardation, cerebal palsy, or
blindness.
