Posts Tagged ‘bilirubin’

Precautions in Performing Bilirubin Tests

No Comments
Posted 13 Nov 2010 — by admin
Category Clinical Chemistry, Laboratory Procedures

Bilirubin is the major bile pigment in the body.  There are crucial precautions you should observe in performing bilirubin tests because the substance can be affected by many factors. Here are precautions that are observed in the Jendrassik and Grof method and Evelyn and Malloy method.

Avoid hemolysis of blood specimen.

Bilirubin is a degradation product of Red Blood Cell or RBC, so any lysis or rupture of these blood cells will increase inaccurately the results of the bilirubin test.

Avoid exposure to light.

Biluribin is photosensitive. It is easily destroyed by light, so exposing it to natural or artificial light will erroneously decrease its laboratory results.

Maintain the correct pH.

Maintaining the correct pH or alkalinity and acidity of the test solution and reagent will ensure the reliability of results. This is vital precaution in performing bilirubin tests.

Avoid interference from proteins and foreign substances.

Protein and foreign substances will greatly affect you bilirubin tests.  Be sure to cover your solutions at all times with a rubber stopper or a parafilm. This will ensure that the results of your bilirubin tests are accurate and precise.

Tags: , , , , ,

Knowing the Hepatitis Laboratory Tests to Diagnose your Liver Problem

No Comments
Posted 22 Aug 2010 — by admin
Category Diseases and Conditions, Laboratory Procedures, Serology and Immunology

By: Engracia Arceo

If you suspect you have hepatitis, the hepatitis laboratory tests will help you confirm your suspicions. The liver problem is due to virus but alcohol, drugs, chemicals and autoimmune and inherited disease can also cause the inflammation. Although the illness can go for several years untreated, if you keep on ignoring the symptoms, it can worsen to liver cirrhosis, cancer and even death. To prevent the complications, here are the possible hepatitis laboratory tests you can requests.

Blood Chemistry

When you see the yellowish discoloration in your skin or feel pain in the right upper quadrant of your abdomen, your physician may request for hepatitis laboratory tests to rule out liver problems. Some of the important blood tests include serum bilirubin determination, proteins, the liver enzyme levels and test for coagulation. During a liver problem, you will expect an elevated level of these substances. When correlated with the signs and symptoms you present, they help your doctor make a better diagnosis on your condition.

Serological Tests

To make a more definite diagnosis, the serological types of hepatitis laboratory tests are more confirmatory than the blood chemistry tests. They detect for the presence of the antigen of the virus or for the antibodies produced in response to the microorganisms. Different kits are available from manufacturers to detect the specific virus causing the inflammation. The test requires blood specimen extracted by a qualified medical technologist. You just have to wait for a few minutes to get the result of your hepatitis laboratory tests.

Biopsy

If the two hepatitis laboratory tests remain inconclusive, your doctor may use liver biopsy as another option to detect the cause of the problem. The doctor will insert a needle to aspirate a sample of the liver cells and the pathologist will do the microscopic examination. Because the procedure is an invasive method, it is very seldom requested.

If you think you have hepatitis, consult your doctor at once to get an accurate diagnosis.

Tags: , , , ,