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When is AST ordered?
AST or aspartate aminotransferase is very useful to screen for liver disease in healthy and diseased patients. It is a marker of hepatocellular injury. In other words, it goes up when the liver tissue gets damaged. It is usually ordered along with other liver disease markers, especially ALT or alanine aminotransferase. These enzymes are essential for the liver panel and are known as liver function tests.
Doctors would order AST to healthy patients during their routine check-ups. It is also ordered in diseased patients with liver disease symptoms, especially jaundice and abdominal pain located in the upper right quadrant. Other symptoms that may require to rule out hepatic disease include gastrointestinal issues, pale stools, and dark urine.
If you’ve been in contact with a patient diagnosed with hepatitis, your doctor may also recommend taking the test. The same goes for patients with known hepatic disease who need to check-up for their current state of disease and how the treatment is solving the problem. So, it is useful to monitor patients with hepatic injury or past liver disease.
