bilirubin-blood-test
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A bilirubin blood test measures the level of bilirubin in your blood. Bilirubin is a yellowish substance made when your body breaks down old red blood cells. The test is used to check liver health, find the cause of jaundice, monitor treatment, and help diagnose newborn jaundice.
Preparation and collection
Your provider may tell you to fast (not eat or drink) for several hours before the test. You may need to stop taking certain medicines; tell your provider about everything you take, but do not stop any medicine unless your provider tells you to.
Understanding this test
Use the reference interval and units printed by the laboratory that performed the test. A result outside that interval is not a diagnosis by itself, and a result inside it does not rule out every condition. Your symptoms, history, medicines, timing, and related tests can change what the result means.
- Normal ranges can vary from lab to lab and may depend on your sex and whether the test is done on an infant or child.
- Abnormal results don't always mean you have a medical condition that needs treatment.
- Higher-than-normal bilirubin levels can also be caused by some medicines, certain foods, or strenuous exercise.
- A bilirubin blood test is only one measure of your liver health; other tests may be needed.
What to do next
To learn what your results mean, talk with your provider. If your provider thinks you might have a liver disease or a red blood cell disorder, you may need other tests such as liver function tests, liver protein tests, urine tests, an ultrasound, or a liver biopsy.