Weblog

Tuesday, 15 December 2009

Singing this loud to myself
'when I get older, i will be stronger.
they'll call me freedom, just like a wavin' flag'

Tuesday, 01 September 2009

Liver function tests

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Liver function tests (LFTs or LFs), which include liver enzymes, are groups of clinical biochemistry laboratory blood assays designed to give information about the state of a patient's liver. Most liver diseases cause only mild symptoms initially, but it is vital that these diseases be detected early. Hepatic (liver) involvement in some diseases can be of crucial importance. This testing is performed by a medical technologist on a patient's serum or plasma sample obtained by phlebotomy. Some tests are associated with functionality (eg. albumin); some with cellular integrity (eg. transaminase) and some with conditions linked to the biliary tract (gamma-glutamyl transferase and alkaline phosphatase).

Measurement	Significance	Reference range (Normal Values)
Alanine transaminase (ALT)	Alanine transaminase (ALT), also called Serum Glutamic Pyruvate Transaminase (SGPT) or Alanine aminotransferase (ALAT) is an enzyme present in hepatocytes (liver cells). When a cell is damaged, it leaks this enzyme into the blood, where it is measured. ALT rises dramatically in acute liver damage, such as viral hepatitis or paracetamol (acetaminophen) overdose. Elevations are often measured in multiples of the upper limit of normal (ULN).	5 to 40 IU/L ^[1]
Aspartate transaminase (AST)	Aspartate transaminase (AST) also called Serum Glutamic Oxaloacetic Transaminase (SGOT) or aspartate aminotransferase (ASAT) is similar to ALT in that it is another enzyme associated with liver parenchymal cells. It is raised in acute liver damage, but is also present in red blood cells, and cardiac and skeletal muscle and is therefore not specific to the liver. The ratio of AST to ALT is sometimes useful in differentiating between causes of liver damage.^[2]^[3] Elevated AST levels are not specific for liver damage, and AST has also been used as a cardiac marker.	10 to 40 IU/L ^[1]
Alkaline phosphatase (ALP)	Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) is an enzyme in the cells lining the biliary ducts of the liver. ALP levels in plasma will rise with large bile duct obstruction, intrahepatic cholestasis or infiltrative diseases of the liver. ALP is also present in bone and placental tissue, so it is higher in growing children (as their bones are being remodelled) and elderly patients with Paget's disease.	30 to 120 IU/L ^[1]
Total bilirubin (TBIL)	Bilirubin is a breakdown product of heme (a part of haemoglobin in red blood cells). The liver is responsible for clearing the blood of bilirubin. It does this by the following mechanism: bilirubin is taken up into hepatocytes, conjugated (modified to make it water-soluble), and secreted into the bile, which is excreted into the intestine. Increased total bilirubin causes jaundice, and can signal a number of problems: 1. Prehepatic: Increased bilirubin production. This can be due to a number of causes, including hemolytic anemias and internal hemorrhage. 2. Hepatic: Problems with the liver, which are reflected as deficiencies in bilirubin metabolism (e.g. reduced hepatocyte uptake, impaired conjugation of bilirubin, and reduced hepatocyte secretion of bilirubin). Some examples would be cirrhosis and viral hepatitis. 3. Posthepatic: Obstruction of the bile ducts, reflected as deficiencies in bilirubin excretion. (Obstruction can be located either within the liver or in the bile duct.)	2 - 14 μmol/L
Direct bilirubin	The diagnosis is narrowed down further by looking at the levels of direct bilirubin. If direct (i.e. conjugated) bilirubin is normal, then the problem is an excess of unconjugated bilirubin, and the location of the problem is upstream of bilirubin excretion. Hemolysis, viral hepatitis, or cirrhosis can be suspected. If direct bilirubin is elevated, then the liver is conjugating bilirubin normally, but is not able to excrete it. Bile duct obstruction by gallstones or cancer should be suspected.	0 - 4 μmol/L
Gamma glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT)	Although reasonably specific to the liver and a more sensitive marker for cholestatic damage than ALP, Gamma glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) may be elevated with even minor, sub-clinical levels of liver dysfunction. It can also be helpful in identifying the cause of an isolated elevation in ALP. GGT is raised in alcohol toxicity (acute and chronic). .

Sunday, 23 August 2009

23/8/2009

記下這一天，因為今天我過得很充實。
先是兩個小時的工作，遇到不錯的顧客，一個十級好的人，好人真是難得一見啊，為何香港人就不能笑多點，關懷人多一點 ?
之後2點半才食的lunch，葵芳新都會的百味，價錢雖然貴了一點，但我很期待
因為飯後去了葵盛泳池，會合校長，完成了我 4+4+4 的目標，在池中出一身汗，在水底的微溫里，我想通了一些事，確認了一些事。
游水過後，灌了一支豆漿。我要的蛋白質啊....
然後回家小睡了一回
醒後趕到惠荃體育館帶上耳機
切切實實做了一個小時健身很好
之後灌了可樂，很甜，依然是不解渴。
接著是回家
夜晚充滿對話的晚餐，一家人，還是要多點溝通才行。
幫手洗了碗，一個月洗一次，算不錯啦，呵呵....

還有接下來的糖水聚
然後呢 ?

今天天氣很好，今天很開心。

Saturday, 22 August 2009

潛水了好一陣子

報告一下近況:
日文自修進度停滯不前，再這樣下去，三級試涷過水。
之前定下的運動時間表，持續了一個月‧但因為城門谷運動場裝修，加上工作關係，又被迫停了下來。
還有，之前的秘密行動，又因為電腦中毒終止了。
要看的書，算是看了一本。
數一數，定了要做的事，不是無疾而終，就是一味拖，拖到有心情才做。

Tuesday, 11 August 2009

笑話幾則 12/8/2009 星期三

今天，因為某人的短訊，我一早起來了。看完某人的blog，心里沉了一沉，啊......因為某人，上網找了些笑話，看到自己都笑了 ...

黑人寫給白人的一封信
Dear white, something you got to know
親愛的白種人，有幾件事你必須知道。

When I was born, I was black.
當我出生時，我是黑色的

When I grow up, I am black.
我長大了，我是黑色的

When I'm under the sun, I'm black.
我在陽光下，我是黑色的

When I'm cold, I'm black.
我寒冷時，我是黑色的

When I'm afraid, I'm black.
我害怕時，我是黑色的

When I'm sick, I'm black.
我生病了，我是黑色的

When I die, I'm still black.
當我死了，我仍是黑色的。

you---white people,
你---白種人

When you were born, you were pink.
當你出生時，你是粉紅色的

When you grow up, you become white.
你長大了，變成白色的

You're red under the sun.
你在陽光下，你是紅色的

You're blue when you're cold.
你寒冷時，你是青色的

You are yellow when you're afraid.
你害怕時，你是黃色的

You're green when you're sick.
你生病時，你是綠色的

You're gray when you die.
當你死時，你是灰色的

And you, call me color?
然後，你叫我「有色種人」?

看不清太遠的東西
“我看不清太遠的東西， ”病人對眼科醫生說。

“請跟我來，”醫生把病人帶到外面，用手指著天上的太陽，問道，“你看那是什么？ ”
“太陽。”病人回答。
“ 那你還想看多遠！”