I had blood work before my surgery this month & the only positive thing I can say about this particular facility is they gave me copies of my labs and EKG. I am interested in the tests that relate to liver function. What tests in the Comp. Metabolic Panel 14 are related to liver? And what other tests that may not have been run would be liver function related??

Also, I have MVP. I don't know if this would be the reason why, but the results on my EKG state *Borderline Normal*. Do I need to be concerned??

Thanks in advance!

By Hol on Sunday, September 24, 2006 - 08:10 pm:

Karen - I am not a nurse, but I have had blood work related to my OA and fibro, as I'm sure you have, if for no other reason than to make sure that the meds I take aren't damaging my liver or kidneys. I know that one of the items on the panel that is liver is "ALT". It measures liver function. Mine was elevated once because I had been taking a lot of "Tylenol Arthritis".

There should be a scale on the lab sheet that tells you what is in the "normal" range.

I don't know about the EKG. Call your primary care physician and ask him to go over the results with you. He should have received a copy.

What is MVP? (besides "most valuable player". Sorry...I just couldn't let that one go).

By Kellyj on Sunday, September 24, 2006 - 08:58 pm:

AST, ALT, alk phos, bilirubin are part of the liver function panel but elevations in some of these do not always indicate liver problems. For example, alk phos can be elevated in conditions related bone. Bili can reflect certain types of anemia. Etc... Here is a good website that can help you.
http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/cmp/cmp.html
MVP is mitral valve prolapse. MVP may or may not cause EKG changes. The borderline normal is what the computer states that your EKG reads. Really that means nothing without the doctor actually reading the EKG and ideally having a previous one to look at. That probably doesn't answer your question...but really no one can tell you what the borderline normal means without seeing the EKG. You should ask your PCP to go over it with you at your next visit.

By Dawnk777 on Sunday, September 24, 2006 - 10:39 pm:

Ditto on calling the doctor. We can't really tell you what everything means, without seeing the whole picture.

By Karen~admin on Monday, September 25, 2006 - 07:57 am:

Thanks. Kelly, are there other tests that can be run for liver function? All the ones that were done were right in normal range, but my PCP was talking at last visit about checking liver stuff in December, but I think she ordered basically the same thing that was done pre surgery.

I guess the EKG thing freaked me out. I guess it must have been *OK* or they would not have put me to sleep. I worry too much. LOL

By Dawnk777 on Monday, September 25, 2006 - 09:56 am:

I can email my doctor and it's nice, because I needed refills of my maintenance meds and I never remembered to call during the day. I was registered at the healthcare provider's site already and decided to give emailing a try. About a week later, the meds showed up in my mailbox. They must have faxed the order, to the mail-order drug place. It was so easy and I sent that email at 11pm one day, which is when I was thinking about it, at the and of the day!

We can't get test results, that I know of yet. It sure would be nice, though!

By Kellyj on Monday, September 25, 2006 - 10:08 pm:

Hi Karen. Other tests can be ordered to get a better picture of what, if anything, is going on. It would depend on what your PCP is looking for. She could be watching your liver function because of Past medical history or current medications. If it was trending up from last check but still in the normal range she may want to make sure that it doesn't continue to elevate. As with the EKG, the PCP is the best one to ask because she has the whole picture.