This type of jaundice is usually produced by conditions where there is an excessive breakdown of red blood cells (e.g., in incompatible blood transfusion and hemolytic anemia).
The complex biochemical reactions for converting fat-soluble into water-soluble bilirubin may be affected by inflammatory change within the liver (e.g., from hepatitis or chronic liver disease, such as liver cirrhosis) and poisons (e.g., paracetamol overdose).