Important liver disease may be being missed in primary care

Many patients under the care of a doctor have liver function tests performed as a screening investigation for non-specific symptoms. If the result is abnormal it is often ascribed to alcohol excess, and little, if any, further action is taken. On p 276 Sherwood et al report on the follow up of 933 patients with abnormal liver test results. They found 157 patients who had had inadequate further investigation, and when they repeated tests in these patients they found 97 with a diagnosis requiring hospital intervention or follow up.


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Relevant Article

How are abnormal results for liver function tests dealt with in primary care? Audit of yield and impact
Paul Sherwood, Iain Lyburn, Sandy Brown, and Stephen Ryder
BMJ 2001 322: 276-278. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

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