THE COMPARATIVE VALUE OF SEVERAL LIVER FUNCTION TESTS *

THE present dissatisfaction with liver function tests is largely dependent upon a tendency to rely solely upon the result of one particular liver func-tion test, disregarding such factors as the multiple functions of the liver, its regenerative ability or the type of injury. It is obvious that in an organ with multiple functions, such as the liver, the result of a single test may be negative in the face of damage so extensive that it can be ascertained with-out any laboratory procedures. Such a negative result means only that the test chosen measured a function not as yet altered in that particular dis-eased liver. The value of any single liver function test, when used, is di-rectly proportional to an appreciation by the user of the function it is testing. It is highly important to determine whether or not the liver is injured and, if so, the type of injury present. To determine such facts, the limi-tations of the several liver function tests must be kept in mind so that a proper choice of one or more of them can be made and the results of the tests properly interpreted in the light of physiological or pathological change