title: Clinical significance in alcoholic patients of commonly encountered laboratory test results.
abstract: An improved understanding of medical problems of alcoholic patients can be gained from commonly encountered laboratory test results. Liver function tests--such as measures of alkaline phosphatase, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and lactate dehydrogenase--may provide evidence of altered hepatic activity of different types, such as obstruction and hepatocellular injury. Other test results may indicate impaired hepatic function, such as measurements of albumin, bilirubin, prothrombin time, and blood urea nitrogen. Alterations are also common in electrolytes, blood glucose, magnesium, phosphate, uric acid, and acid-base balance. Disturbances in hematologic function are not infrequent in alcoholic patients, including anemias from many causes, altered granulocyte responses, and thrombocytopenia.
authors.affiliation: General Medicine Division, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Portland, Oregon 97207.
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Magarian
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Lucas
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Kumar
mesh_terms: D000137:Acid-Base Imbalance / Q000209:etiology; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism*; D001772:Blood Cell Count; D003955:Diagnostic Tests, Routine; D004573:Electrolytes / Q000378:metabolism; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008108:Liver Diseases, Alcoholic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008903:Minerals / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004573:Electrolytes; D008903:Minerals; D005947:Glucose