Purpose

Causes of high bilirubin: Liver disease: hepatitis, cholangitis, cirrhosis, other types of liver disease (including primary or secondary neoplasia); alcoholism (usually with high AST (SGOT), GGT, MCV, or some combination of these findings); biliary obstruction (intrahepatic or extrahepatic); infectious mononucleosis (look also for increased LD (LDH), lymphocytosis); Dubin-Johnson syndrome; Gilbert disease (familial hyperbilirubinemia) is encountered as a moderate elevation with otherwise unremarkable chemistries. Anorexia or prolonged fasting: 36 hours or more may cause moderate rise. Pernicious anemia, hemolytic anemias, erythroblastosis fetalis, other neonatal jaundice, hematoma, and following a blood transfusion, especially if several units are given in a short time. Pulmonary embolism and/or infarct, congestive heart failure.