Interpretation
The causes of hyperbilirubinaemia can be split into pre-hepatic, hepatic and post-hepatic categories. The cause is often obvious from the clinical setting and the pattern of LFT derangement, although measurement of total bilirubin and conjugated bilirubin may help to differentiate between these categories.
– In pre-hepatic jaundice (e.g. haemolysis), the conjugated bilirubin is unlikely to be significantly elevated.
– In hepatic jaundice (e.g. hepatitis), there may be a mixed picture with elevations of both unconjugated and conjugated fractions. Results vary according to the specific underlying cause.
– In post-hepatic jaundice (e.g. cholestasis), the conjugated bilirubin is likely to be predominantly elevated, with a smaller elevation in unconjugated bilirubin also possible.
Test Method
This method suitable for babies >14 days old
Photometric colour test for the quantitative determination of total bilirubin performed on Beckman Coulter AU5822 analysers using Beckman Coulter reagents.
