Posts Tagged ‘alt’

AST/ALT Ratio

AST ALT Ratio for Diagnosis The ratio of AST to ALT has been used as a diagnostic aid: AST:ALT ratio of more than 2:1 is characteristic in patients with alcoholic liver disease a raised AST level out of proportion to the ALT level appears to be caused by a differential reduction in hepatic ALT due…

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Special Considerations in Interpreting Liver Function Tests

Special Considerations in Interpreting Liver Function Tests DAVID E. JOHNSTON, M.D., University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, New Mexico Am Fam Physician. 1999 Apr 15;59(8):2223-2230. A number of pitfalls can be encountered in the interpretation of common blood liver function tests. These tests can be normal in patients with chronic hepatitis or cirrhosis.…

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Looking at Liver Function Bloodwork

Looking at Liver Function Bloodwork When you go for a physical, your healthcare practitioner frequently orders blood tests. Many folks first find out they have hep C after undergoing a routine blood test and finding that one or more of the tests is abnormal. There’s no one test that indicates chronic hepatitis C disease. Tests…

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Liver Enzymes: What Causes Liver Enzymes to Elevate?

What Causes Liver Enzymes to Elevate? Tests that measure liver enzymes are blood tests that specify how much of the special protein that makes up liver enzymes is present in the liver. This enzyme increases the liver’s chemical reactions in order to measure the functions that the liver performs. These include such functions as excretion,…

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Liver Blood Test ALT/AST Enzyme Values

ALT/AST Enzyme Values Medical Author: Siamak Nabili, MD, MPH Medical Editor: William C. Shiel, Jr., MD, FACP, FACR Introduction to liver blood test An initial step in detecting liver damage is a simple blood test to determine the presence of certain liver enzymes in the blood. Under normal circumstances, these enzymes reside within the cells…

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Imaging Tests

Imaging Tests Imaging is essential for accurately diagnosing biliary tract disorders and is important for detecting focal liver lesions (eg, abscess, tumor). It is limited in detecting and diagnosing diffuse hepatocellular disease (eg, hepatitis, cirrhosis). Ultrasonography: Ultrasonography, traditionally done transabdominally and requiring a period of fasting, provides structural, but not functional, information. It is the…

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Symptoms of Cirrhosis of the Liver

Symptoms of Cirrhosis of the Liver Cirrhosis of the liver refers to a condition characterized by the development of fibrous scar tissue on the liver and regenerative nodules or lumps. This chronic liver disease leads to progressive deterioration of liver function… Liver function is vital to detoxification and protein synthesis, within the human body. It…

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