LFTs Flashcards
1
Q
What’s included in LFTs?
A
- Albumin
- Alanine transaminase (ALT)
- Aspartate transaminase (AST)
- Alkaline phosphatase (ALP)
- Bilirubin
2
Q
What is albumin a measure of?
A
- Synthetic function of liver
- Can have renal cause of decreased albumin
- Decreased albumin = chronic liver disease
3
Q
Which one out of ALT and AST is more specific to the liver?
A
- ALT
- AST is also released by skeletal muscle, cardiac muscle and red blood cells
4
Q
What type of liver disease is indicated by increased ALT?
A
- Acute
5
Q
What type of liver disease is indicated by increased AST?
A
- Chronic
6
Q
What is alkaline phosphatase?
A
- Found in cells of bile ducts
- Levels are raised in cholestasis
7
Q
What else could cause raised alkaline phosphatase?
A
- Can be released when bones are remodelling (e.g. in children/adolescents that are still growing)
- Confirm that raised ALP is due to bile ducts with Gamma GT
8
Q
Why is it important that we check bilirubin when conducting LFTs?
A
- Need to check if bilirubin is unconjugated
- Unconjugated bilirubin can cross blood brain barrier and cause brain damage
- Jaundice is common in neonates
9
Q
If a patient had normal ALT, AST and ALP but increased bilirubin, what kind of jaundice would they have?
A
- Pre-hepatic
- FBC would show haemolysis as well
10
Q
Why would we take LFTS?
A
- For baseline results in healthy patients
- To monitor liver conditions
- Suspected liver pathology
11
Q
If a patient has raised ALT and AST but normal ALP and bilirubin, what pathology would we suspect?
A
- Hepatocellular damage e.g. due to paracetamol overdose
12
Q
What LFT results indicate post-hepatic jaundice with an obstructive pattern?
A
- Normal ALT and AST
- Raised ALP
- Raised bilirubin
- Raised amylase in blood (due to acute pancreatitis)
13
Q
What would we suspect if all LFT results were abnormal?
A
- Indicative of hepatocellular damage and obstruction
- Liver is a common site of metastases because lots of GI system drains through liver
