got my labs--what am I looking for??

[DesertGuy]

like I said I can see my labs online3 before I see the doctor tomorrow---I do not understand the coding---which are the one's I'm looking for--ast?--efgr?-alt?--what??

[rainbowray]

Hi Desertguy,
I'll try to assist a little.
Alt and Ast are liver enzyme measurments that show if their is tisssue damage occuring. Not always liver specific, but important in hepc. The closer to range the better. In range is best Ast=37 ALT=60.
If you are close to these numbers or lower, you are in good shape.
Total Billirubin is important Below 1.1 is good. This shows the liver is breaking down old blood cells.
ALP=If high suggests liver damage. But could be healing if the medicine is working.
Hemoglobin Above 13.5 or close is good. This is marker for anemia. Important if you are feeling tired all the time.
Platelet Count. 150-400 thousand is range. If bruising is occuring look at this if low.
HCV RNA, PCR Quant= Will give a count of the actual virus in your blood. In range or below is great. Means the virus is being eradicated.
There are others, if some are out of range look it up on the internet by typing the test name in google. For example   ALT    You will get hits that show you the info.

Hope this helps, I'm sure others will type info for you on the forum.

[DesertGuy]

my terms don't match__??  looked up most on internet--looking for a viral load and not finding it yet--i'll find out at 10;30 in the morning

[iana5252]

Here's some more info on viral load from Hep's Hepatitis C Lesson "How is it diagnosed, and what tests are used?"

HCV Viral Load Testing: To look for HCV, a health care provider can request a qualitative PCR test to determine whether or not the virus is in a person’s bloodstream. A health care provider can also order a quantitative PCR or bDNA test to check for the presence of HCV and to figure out the person’s HCV viral load (the amount of HCV in a measurement of blood).

The HCV viral load is a very important laboratory test. Though the HCV viral load test cannot determine if or when someone with hepatitis C will develop cirrhosis or liver failure, it can help determine how likely it is someone will respond to treatment. As a rule of thumb, the lower the HCV viral load, the better someone’s chances of responding to HCV treatment.

HCV viral load testing is often used during treatment to determine how well therapy is working.

Visit this link for more information...
http://www.hepmag.com/articles/2512_18753.shtml