Alkaline phosphatase

Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) test is used to measure the amount of the ALP enzyme in blood. Mostly, ALP enzyme is made in the liver and bone. Some amount is also made in the intestine, kidney and placenta of pregnant woman. Highest amount of ALP is made the liver. In some conditions, there may be large ALP amount in the blood. Such conditions are rapid bone growth, (during puberty), bone disease (osteomalcia or Paget's disease) or hyperparathyroidism or damaged liver cells. If ALP level is found high, then more number of tests are performed to find out reason behind it.

Need

ALP test is done in following conditions:

• It checks liver disease or liver damage in symptoms like jaundice, belly pain, nausea, and vomiting. It also checks the liver while medicines that may damage the liver are taken.
• Bone problems like osteomalcia, rickets, bone tumors, Paget's disease or too much of the hormone controlling bone growth (parathyroid hormone) are the problems that are detected with the help of ALP test.
• The test also checks the high calcium level in the blood

Procedure

Your upper arm is wrapped with elastic belt to stop the blood flow. The veins below the band get bigger and make the needle easy to insert. The site of the needle insertion is cleaned with alcohol and the needle is put into the vein. Sometimes, more than one needle sticks are necessary. The tube is attached to a needle to fill the blood in it. The band is removed from your arm when adequate blood amount is collected. The gauze pad or cotton ball is applied over the needle site after removing the needle. At first, pressure is applied to that site for some time and then bandage is wrapped over it.

Result

Normal values of the test are different according to different labs.
Alkaline phosphatase at normal level
In adults- 38 -126 international units per liter (IU/L)
Due to rapid growth of bones in children and the production of ALP in the placenta of the pregnant woman, the values of ALP are found high.
Alkaline phosphatase at high level

• Liver diseases like hepatitis, bile duct blockage, gallstone, cirrhosis, and liver cancer
• Bone diseases like osteomalcia, rickets, bone tumors, overactive parathyroid glands and normal healing of bone fracture
• Heart failure, heart attack, mononucleosis or kidney cancer

Alkaline phosphatase at low level:
Conditions leading to malnutrition like celiac disease

Consideration

The following things may interfere into your accurate results:

• Liver damaging medications like some antibiotics, birth controlling pills, aspirin use for a long term, oral diabetes medicines
• Pregnancy
• Menopause- Postmenstrual women may have high Alp levels
• Age- children have usually high Alp level
• Alcohol use

There are rare complications while taking out blood from the vein. Sometimes, a bruise or a puncture may be developed at the needle site. This risk may be reduced by giving pressure on the needle site for long time. If condition of vein inflammation arises after the test then you have to apply warm compresses daily for several times. This inflammation condition is known as the phlebitis. People having the problems of bleeding disorders may suffer with the problem of continued bleeding.