GAMMA GLUTAMYL TRANSFERASE (GGT)
Purpose of test:
Provides information about liver disease
Assesses liver function
Distinguishes between bone-and-joint disease and liver disease when
blood alkaline-phosphatase levels are elevated.
Patient preparation:
Don't eat any food or drink any liquid for at least 12 hours before
the test. Don't drink any alcohol for 48 hours before the test.
Time before test results available:
Test requires only a few minutes in the laboratory. Time before
results are reported to the doctor or patient varies from a few
minutes to a few days.
Normal values:
Men--6 to 37u/liter
Women under 45--5 to 27u/liter
Women over 45--6 to 37u/liter
What "high" or "increased" may indicate:
Acute liver disease
Acute pancreatitis
Epilepsy
Brain tumor
Prostatic metastasis
Renal disease
Hepatic metastatic infiltrations
Obstructive jaundice
Possibly following myocardial infarction
Taking these drugs may affect test results:
Aminoglycosides
Barbiturates
Clofibrate
Oral contraceptives
Pehnytoin
Other factors that may affect test results:
Moderate intake of alcohol causes increased blood-GGT levels that
may last for at least 60 hours.
Failure to fast overnight
If tourniquet is applied on the arm too long (over 1 minute), it
may cause an inaccurate test result. Request another sample to be
collected to ensure accuracy.
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