Bilirubin Test

Bilirubin Test is a blood test that measures the level of bilirubin in blood. Bili is a yellow substance that is made during the breakdown of RBCs, and red blood cells. Bilirubin test helps to find the cause of Jaundice, Anemia, and liver diseases.

Bilirubin measures how much bilirubin your blood. The Bilirubin Test is also part of the Liver Function Test. The liver takes the bilirubin in the blood, If your liver is healthy liver will remove bilirubin from your body.

There are three types of Bilirubin.

1. Bilirubin Total
2. Conjugated (direct) bilirubin
3. Unconjugated (indirect) bilirubin

How The Test Performed

A blood sample or urine sample is needed.

Why The Test Performed

Investigate jaundice, or If you have symptoms like hepatitis, Jaundice, dark urine, stomach pain, or cirrhosis Newborn babies, especially preemies, often have high bilirubin levels and might need a bilirubin test. In children and adults, doctors used to diagnose or monitor liver and bile diseases.

A level of bilirubin in the blood of 2.0 mg/dL creates jaundice. Jaundice is a yellow color on the skin and eyes. Bilirubin is ordered when the Doctor suspects a person has liver, hepatitis, or gallbladder problems. Have a history of heavy drinking.

What Does the Result Mean

Bilirubin test results expressed as Direct Bilirubin, Indirect Bilirubin, or Total Bilirubin. Total bilirubin is a combination of Direct and Indirect Bilirubin. A normal level of Bilirubin is 1.2 milligrams per deciliter mg/dL in blood and the normal Result of Direct and Indirect Bilirubin is 0.3 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL).

Some labs use different measurements or may test different samples.

Abnormal Results Mean

In newborns, bilirubin level is higher for the first few days of life. Your child’s provider must consider the following when deciding whether your baby’s bilirubin level is too high:

How fast the level has been rising
Whether the baby was born early
The baby’s age

Jaundice can also occur when red blood cells are broken down. This can be caused by:

A blood disorder called erythroblastosis fetalis
A red blood cell disorder called hemolytic anemia
Transfusion reaction in which red blood cells that were given in a transfusion are destroyed by the person’s immune system

The following liver problems may also cause jaundice or a high bilirubin level:

Scarring of the liver (cirrhosis)
Swollen and inflamed liver (hepatitis)
Other liver disease
Disorder in which bilirubin is not processed normally by the liver (Gilbert disease)

The following problems with gallbladder or bile ducts may cause higher bilirubin levels:

Abnormal narrowing of the common bile duct (biliary stricture)
Cancer of the pancreas or gallbladder
Gallstones