Blood Drug Testing

Why would the lab need to draw 14 separate vials of blood after an abnormal liver enzyme test.?

My wife had a liver enzyme (AST) that should normally be at about 40, but was at 130+ on two separate tests. An initial follow-up test showed that it wasn't caused by vigorous exercise. Now they're drawing the 14 vials of blood. What tests are they likely to be doing?

Public Comments

1. Easy way to find out - call the doctor's office and ask specifically what was ordered. Under HIPPA regulations they will have to tell you what testing was ordered. (If I had to guess, I would think a battery of Hepatitis testing among other things.) Chances are many of the tests that were ordered will be sent out to an ancillary lab to do specialized testing not done at your hospital laboratory. Those labs usually require a separate tube for each test to insure they have enough sample to recheck/retest if needed. Best wishes.