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What will doctors do with this test?
In most cases, doctors will order total bilirubin levels instead of the complete panel. If they find an increase in total bilirubin level, they may request another test to detect which type of bilirubin is found at high levels. In an emergency situation, and when doctors are sure about their diagnosis, they may order all of them at the same time to save some time.
Doctors who order both tests simultaneously get a total bilirubin reading and a direct bilirubin reading. The latter is a measure of water-soluble bilirubin, and it is an estimate of conjugated bilirubin.
What doctors need to do next is subtracting direct bilirubin from total bilirubin measures. That will give them the indirect portion of bilirubin, which is an estimate of unconjugated bilirubin. Many laboratories do these calculations automatically, saving time and human error to facilitate the diagnosis.
