jaundice /jôn″dis, jän″dis/ [Fr, jaune, yellow] , a yellow discoloration of the skin, mucous membranes, and sclerae of the eyes caused by greater than normal amounts of bilirubin in the blood. Jaundice is a symptom of many disorders, including liver diseases, biliary obstruction, and the hemolytic anemias. Also called icterus. See also anicteric hepatitis, hyperbilirubinemia. −jaundiced, adj. ▪ OBSERVATIONS: Because persons with dark skin sometimes have yellow-tinged sclerae, the hard palate of the mouth is often the best place to assess for jaundice. Persons with jaundice may experience nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain and may pass dark urine and clay-colored stools. Useful diagnostic procedures include a clinical evaluation of the signs and symptoms, tests of liver function, and techniques for direct or indirect visualization, such as x-ray imaging, computed tomographic scan, ultrasound, endoscopy or exploratory surgery, and biopsy. ▪ INTERVENTIONS: Treatment of jaundice as a symptom of disease depends on the underlying cause. Discomfort due to itching, if present, may be treated with oral antihistamines if not contraindicated and topical lotions, medicated baths, or phototherapy. ▪ PATIENT CARE CONSIDERATIONS: Physiological jaundice commonly develops in newborns and disappears after a few days. Rarer disorders causing jaundice are Crigler-Najjar syndrome and Gilbert’s syndrome.
