Important preparation before checking sgpt and sgot

There are various kinds of health checks that are often carried out when you are suspected of having a certain disease. One of them is checking the levels of SGPT (Serum Glutamic Oxaloacetic Transaminase) and SGOT (Serum Glutamoc Oxaloecetic Transaminase). Usually, people who experience symptoms of hepatitis B or C are advised to confirm their AST and ALT condition. So, how is the test mechanism? Do you have anything to prepare? Are the SGPT and SGOT results only for people with hepatitis? Check out the explanation below.

What are SGPT and SGOT?

SGPT and SGOT are enzymes produced in the body. SGPT can also be called AST (aminotransferase), while SGOT can be called ALT (alanine aminotransferase) in the results of your lab checks.

These two enzymes are in charge of helping metabolic processes in the body. The difference is that ALT levels are generally found in the liver, while AST levels are found in addition to the liver and are also found in the brain, muscles, heart, pancreas, and kidneys.

If the levels of these two enzymes are high, further action is required.

Why do doctors recommend checking SGPT and SPOT?

This test is done to help diagnose whether a person has liver function problems or not. The doctor or health worker will order this test if you find some symptoms such as:

• Jaundice (jaundice)
• Dark urine color
• Nausea and vomiting
• Pain in the abdomen, precisely at the location of the liver

Allegedly, people who have these symptoms have liver disease so they should be examined further from this SGPT value.

However, this SGPT check is not always done because of the symptoms alone. The SGPT test will also usually be done to:

• Evaluating the progression of liver diseases such as hepatitis, cirrhosis and other liver disorders.
• Seeing whether the patient needs treatment or not. There are several cases of diseases whose medicinal effects lead to liver damage. For example, the case of Tuberculosis (TB). Some TB patients are not strong enough to have the side effects of these drugs which are hard on the liver. Furthermore, TB patients who are suspected of having liver damage will begin to be given treatment for their liver so that it does not get worse.
• Evaluating how well a health care has been given.

For AST, it is usually also done to see conditions of liver disease such as hepatitis. Usually SGOT will be measured with SGPT. Since SGOT is present in several places in the body, SGOT does not only indicate damage to the liver. SGOT can also indicate damage to other body tissues that contain this enzyme.

What should be prepared before checking SGPT and SGOT?

Both of these tests do not require any special steps or preparations before being carried out. However, you should tell your doctor what medicines are being taken. This is to avoid inaccurate test results.

Several drugs can affect this result. Doctors will usually stop using drugs that are suspected to affect the results of this test for some time before the test.

What are the drugs that can affect the SGPT and SGOT test results?

There are several drugs that are thought to affect the results of the original SGPT and SGOT levels in the body. So, for that there are some medicines that need to be stopped before the test so that the results show the right numbers.

SGPT or SGOT values ​​can usually return to their original levels after stopping the use of the drug within a few weeks or months.

Therefore, doctors must know what drugs are being consumed before doing this test to check the levels of SGPT and SGOT. One of them is a tricyclic type antidepressant drug.

In addition, these drugs can also affect the results:

Painkillers, such as:

• Aspirin
• Acetaminophen
• Ibuprofen
• Naproxen
• Disclofenac
• Phenylbutazone

Anti-seizure drugs:

• Phenytoin
• Valporic acid
• Carbamazepine

Antibiotics:

• Sulfonamides
• Isoniazid
• Sulfamethoxazole
• Trimethoprim
• Nitrofurantoin
• Fluconazole

Cholesterol-lowering drugs:

• Lovastatin
• Pravastatin
• Atrovastatin
• Fluvastatin
• Ssimvastatins
• Rosuvastin

Heart and blood vessel drugs:

• Qinidine
• Hydralazine
• Amiodarone

Get to know the SGPT and SGOT check procedures

SGPT and SGOT tests are done by assessing the levels in the blood. The health worker will take a blood sample on the hand. Precisely in the blood vessels called veins. Here are the steps:

• Before injecting a needle into the patient's hand, usually the officer will clean the area of ​​the skin to be pricked with a needle using cotton and alcohol.
• Next, to easily locate your vein, the officer will place an elastic band on the upper arm. This bracelet will stop the flow of blood, making the veins more visible.
• When the vein is located, the health worker will inject a needle into your vein. This can cause a sensation such as being pinched or stung for a short period of time.
• Blood flows into a tube to collect blood. Blood can flow into the tube because the needle is connected by a small tube which serves as a conduit to the tube.
• If there is enough blood, the injection will be removed. Likewise with the elastic bracelet.
• The officer then put the cotton in the injection site.
• Blood samples were taken to the laboratory to analyze how much SGPT and SGOT levels were in the blood. Next, the doctor will explain the results to you and make a diagnosis.

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