Relationship of cord blood mepivicaine levels to bilirubin levels in the seventy-two hour old infant

The purpose of this study was to determine whether there was a relationship between cord blood mepivicaine levels and the level of bilirubin in the seventy-two hour old infant. A review of the literature revealed that mepivicaine and bilirubin were both metabolized by the process of glucuronidation. There are some other medications with compete with bilirubin for biotransformation and cause infants to have elevated levels of bilirubin. Few studies have been done to determine the long range effects of mepivicaine on the infant. Cord blood was collected at the time of delivery and was analyzed by means of the gas chromatograph. Bilirubin was determined from capillary blood obtained from infants between the ages of 60 to 74 hours. Findings were analyzed by means of the Pearson Correlation Coefficient and a two stepwise multiple regression equation. The results of this study showed that there was no relationship between the cord blood levels of mepivicaine and bilirubin in the newborn. It was demonstrated, however, that as the time from the first administration of mepivicaine to delivery increased the levels of bilirubin in the infants between the ages of 60 to 74 hours decreased.