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Cirrhosis Learning Center

An enlarged liver or spleen; Excess breast tissue; Expanded (distended) abdomen, as a result of too much fluid; Reddened palms; Red spider-like blood vessels on the skin; Smaller (contracted) fingers; Small testicles in men; Widened (dilated) vein...
Source:ADAM
Date:October 18, 2009
A patient's medical history can reveal illnesses or lifestyles likely to lead to cirrhosis. Liver changes can be seen during a physical examination . A doctor who suspects cirrhosis may order blood and urine tests to measure liver function. Becaus...
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine
A patient's medical history can reveal illnesses or lifestyles likely to lead to cirrhosis. Liver changes can be seen during a physical examination. A doctor who suspects cirrhosis may order blood and urine tests to measure liver function. Because...
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine
Prothrombin time (PT) is a blood test that measures the time it takes for the liquid portion (plasma) of your blood to clot. See also: Partial thromboplastin time (PTT)
Source:ADAM
Date:February 21, 2009
The prothrombin time test belongs to a group of blood tests that assess the clotting ability of blood. The test is also known as the pro time or PT test.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine
Hemostasis has been described as "a process by which the body spontaneously stops bleeding and maintains blood in the fluid state within the vascular compartment." There are at least four major systems that are involved in this complex process: th...
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Nursing and Allied Health
During a physical examination, a health care provider studies a patient's body to determine the presence or absence of physical problems. A typical physical examination includes: Inspection (looking at the body; Palpation (feeling the body with ha...
Source:ADAM
Date:February 23, 2009
The health status of populations and of individuals is assessed for many reasons. Assessing needs for care helps guide the allocation of resources— diagnostic assessments guide treatment, prognostic assessments contribute to planning, and assessin...
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Public Health
Albumin is a protein made by the liver. A serum albumin test measures the amount of this protein in the clear liquid portion of the blood.
Source:ADAM
Date:February 23, 2009
Gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) is a test to measure the amount of the enzyme GGT in the blood.
Source:ADAM
Date:February 23, 2009
Alanine transaminase (ALT) is an enzyme found in the highest amounts in the liver. Injury to the liver results in release of the substance into the blood. This article discusses the test to measure the amount of ALT in the blood.
Source:ADAM
Date:February 22, 2009
AST (aspartate aminotransferase) is an enzyme found in high amounts in heart muscle and liver and skeletal muscle cells. It is also found in lesser amounts in other tissues. This article discusses the test to measure the amount of AST in the blood.
Source:ADAM
Date:February 23, 2009
The Aspartate aminotransferase test measures levels of AST, an enzyme released into the blood when certain organs or tissues, particularly the liver and heart, are injured. Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) is also known as serum glutamic oxaloacet...
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine
Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) is a protein found in all body tissues. Tissues with particularly high amounts of ALP include the liver, bile ducts, and bone. A blood test can be done to measure the level of ALP. See also: ALP isoenzyme test
Source:ADAM
Date:May 7, 2009
Alkaline phosphatase is an enzyme found throughout the body. Like all enzymes, it is needed, in small amounts, to trigger specific chemical reactions. When it is present in large amounts, it may signify bone or liver disease or a tumor.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine
Bilirubin is a yellowish pigment found in bile, a fluid produced by the liver. This article discusses the laboratory test done to measure bilirubin in the blood. Total and direct bilirubin are usually measured to screen for or to monitor liver or ...
Source:ADAM
Date:February 23, 2009
A bilirubin test is a diagnostic blood test performed to measure levels of bile pigment in an individual's blood serum and to help evaluate liver function.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Children's Health
Monitors the liver function of newborns. The bilirubin test is a blood test to monitor the liver function of newborns. The rapid destruction of red blood cells after birth produces more bilirubin than the infant's liver can handle, causing some ja...
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Childhood and Adolescence
This test roughly measures the types of protein in the fluid (serum) part of a blood sample. See also: Immunoelectrophoresis - serum; Immunofixation - serum; Serum globulin electrophoresis.
Source:ADAM
Date:March 2, 2009
Electrophoresis is a technique used to separate the different components (fractions) of a mixture, such as proteins in a biological sample. Separation is based on differences in the charge (and sometimes size) of the molecules, which determines th...
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Nursing and Allied Health
Electrophoresis is a technique used to separate different elements (fractions) of a blood sample into individual components. Serum protein electrophoresis (SPEP) is a screening test that measures the major blood proteins by separating them into fi...
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine
A platelet count is a test to measure how many platelets you have in your blood. Platelets help the blood clot. They are smaller than red or white blood cells.
Source:ADAM
Date:February 21, 2009
A platelet count is a diagnostic test that determines the number of platelets in the patient's blood. Platelets, which are also called thrombocytes, are small disk-shaped blood cells produced in the bone marrow and involved in the process of blood...
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine
An abdominal CT scan is an imaging method that uses x-rays to create cross-sectional pictures of the belly area. CT stands for computed tomography. See also: CT scan
Source:ADAM
Date:February 23, 2009
Common tests that are used to evaluate liver function include: Albumin; Alpha-1 antitrypsin; ALP; ALT; AST; Gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT; Prothrombin time; Serum bilirubin; Urine bilirubin. Please see individual tests for details on how each...
Source:ADAM
Date:November 16, 2008
Liver function tests, or LFTs, include tests for bilirubin, a breakdown product of hemoglobin, and ammonia, a protein byproduct that is normally converted into urea by the liver before being excreted by the kidneys. LFTs also commonly include test...
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine
Liver function tests, or LFTs, include tests that are routinely measured in all clinical laboratories. LFTs include bilirubin, a compound formed by the breakdown of hemoglobin; ammonia, a breakdown product of protein that is normally converted int...
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Surgery
Liver function tests, or LFTs, include tests that are routinely measured in all clinical laboratories. LFTs include bilirubin, a compound formed by the catabolism of hemoglobin; ammonia, a product of protein catabolism that is normally converted i...
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Nursing and Allied Health
The alanine aminotransferase test, also known as ALT, is one of a group of tests known as liver function tests (or LFTs) and is used to monitor damage to the liver.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine
A biopsy is the removal of a small piece of tissue for laboratory examination.
Source:ADAM
Date:November 11, 2008
A biopsy describes the procedure that is used to obtain a very small piece of the target tissue. For some tissues, like the lining of the cheek, cells can be obtained just by scrapping the tissue surface. Other samples are collected using forceps ...
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Neurological Disorders
Biopsy is a diagnostic procedure in which a piece of tissue and/or cells are removed to be examined under a microscope by a pathologist.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Cancer
A medical procedure used to diagnose a condition. Most biopsies involve taking a small piece of skin or muscle under a local anesthetic. When the cells to be analyzed are accessible by needle, the biopsy specimen may be removed with a hollow aspir...
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Childhood and Adolescence
Ultrasound involves the use of high-frequency sound waves to create images of organs and systems within the body.
Source:ADAM
Date:March 27, 2009
Ultrasonography is a diagnostic technique that involves directing high frequency sound waves at tissues in the body to generate images of anatomical structures. Ultrasonography is also called sonography, diagnostic sonography, and echocardiography...
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Neurological Disorders
A thyroid ultrasound, or sonogram, is a diagnostic imaging technique used to evaluate the structure of the thyroid gland . The thyroid is an endocrine gland, which means that it releases its secretions directly into the bloodstream or lymph. It co...
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Nursing and Allied Health
The use of ultrasound to obtain diagnostic images is referred to as diagnostic sonography. Since diagnostic sonography utilizes a nonionizing form of energy, there are no known bioeffects. Thus, diagnostic sonography is applied to a large spectrum...
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Public Health
Ultrasonography is the study of internal organs or blood vessels using high-frequency sound waves. The actual test is called an ultrasound scan or sonogram. Duplex ultrasonography uses Doppler technology to study blood cells moving through major v...
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Cancer
Diagnostic medical sonography, or ultrasound, is a technique using high frequency sound to create images of specific areas of the body to diagnose various pathologies. The diagnostic medical sonographer performs examinations, records anatomic cond...
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Nursing and Allied Health
A computed tomography (CT) scan is an imaging method that uses x-rays to create cross-sectional pictures of the body. See also: Cranial CT scan; Lumbosacral spine CT scan; Orbit CT scan; Thoracic CT scan.
Source:ADAM
Date:October 29, 2008
Computed tomography (CT) scanning is a valuable diagnostic tool that provides physicians with views of internal body structures. During a CT scan, multiple x rays are passed through the body, producing cross-sectional images, or "slices, " on a ca...
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Cancer
Computed tomography (CT), formerly referred to as computerized axial tomography (CAT), is a common diagnostic imaging procedure that uses x rays to generate images (slices) of the anatomy.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Children's Health
Computed tomography (also known as CT, CT scan, CAT, or computerized axial tomography) scans use x rays to produce precise cross-sectional images of anatomical structures.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Neurological Disorders
Computed tomography scanning, also called CT scan, CAT scan, or computerized axial tomography, is a diagnostic tool that provides views of internal body structures using x rays. In the field of mental health, a CT scan may be used when a patient s...
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Mental Disorders
Computed tomography (CT) scans are completed with the use of a 360-degree x-ray beam and computer production of images. These scans allow for cross-sectional views of body organs and tissues.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine
Enzyme markers are tests for specific enzyme activity in the body. Diseases or defects passed down through families can cause enzymes to stop working or to be less active. Test results are reported as a percentage of normal enzyme activity.
Source:ADAM
Date:February 21, 2009
Enzyme immunoassay (EIA) is a test used to detect and quantify specific antigen-eliciting molecules involved in biological processes, specifically processes related to cancer and autoimmune disorders. EIA can be used on most types of biological sa...
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Public Health
A liver biopsy is a test that takes a sample of tissue from the liver for examination.
Source:ADAM
Date:March 5, 2009
Alpha fetoprotein (AFP) is a protein normally produced by the liver and yolk sac of a fetus. AFP levels decrease soon after birth. AFP probably has no normal function in adults. A test can be done to measure the amount of AFP in your blood. See al...
Source:ADAM
Date:September 2, 2009
The alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) test is a blood test that is performed during pregnancy . This screening test measures the level of AFP in the mother's blood and indicates the probability that the fetus has one of several serious birth defects . The l...
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine
The alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) test is a blood test that is performed during pregnancy to screen the fetus for certain conditions; it is also used to screen for certain diseases in infants and children. The screening test measures the level of AFP in...
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Children's Health
Prenatal test that tests for birth defects. The Alpha Fetoprotein (AFP) Test is a commonly used prenatal test to monitor the level of AFP—a possible indicator of developmental abnormalities—in the liver of a fetus during high-risk pregnancies. The...
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Childhood and Adolescence
A complete blood count (CBC) test measures the following: The number of red blood cells (RBCs; The number of white blood cells (WBCs; The total amount of hemoglobin in the blood; The fraction of the blood composed of red blood cells (hematocrit; T...
Source:ADAM
Date:August 10, 2008
One of the most commonly ordered clinical laboratory tests, a blood count, also called a complete blood count (CBC), is a basic evaluation of the cells (red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets) suspended in the liquid part of the blood (...
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine
A complete blood count (CBC) is a series of tests used to evaluate the composition and concentration of the cellular components of blood. It consists of the following tests: red blood cell (RBC) count, white blood cell (WBC) count, and platelet co...
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Nursing and Allied Health
A complete blood count (CBC) is a series of tests used to evaluate the composition and concentration of the cellular components of blood. It consists of the following tests: red blood cell (RBC) count, white blood cell (WBC) count, and platelet co...
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Surgery
The clinical laboratory test that evaluates the three main cellular components of peripheral blood (red cells, white cells, and platelets) is called the "complete blood count" (CBC). It is used commonly to assess whether a patient is anemic (low r...
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Public Health
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