25-year-old female with hyperthyroidism who is 30 weeks pregnant initially presented with costovertebral tenderness, pelvic pain and nausea. Pain resolved after passing a kidney stone, but initial labs are concerning for abnormal liver chemistries with AST of 118 U/L, ALT of 162 U/L, alkaline phosphatase of 200 U/L, Total Bilirubin of 2.0 mg/dL and INR of 1.0. What is the next best step?
Where do AST and ALT come from? How is bilirubin metabolized? Get to “know” your liver chemistries with this Quick Tips infographic!
Why, after an episode of prolonged biliary obstruction, or after severe forms of acute liver injury, does the alkaline phosphatase (ALP) rise in a delayed fashion? And why do the ALP and total bilirubin often take a while to normalize? We’ve all heard (or said) this before. Today, let’s get to the bottom of why this happens!