Change of AST & ALT in Patients with Multiple Trauma

Lee, Sang Wook; Kwon, Kwaeng Woo; Kim, Shin Kun; Chang, Gee Hun

Abstract

Increase of AST and ALT is a common biochemical finding in patients with multiple trauma. So it is difficult to make a decision for appropriate operation timing and to predict prognosis with consideration of parenchymal liver disease. We studied patients with multiple trauma who admitted to orthopedic department with increased AST & ALT and patients who had hepatitis from Jan. 1993 to Dec. 1993. The patients were checked AST & ALT on admission day and followed by the 3rd, 5th, 9th day, second and third week. We checked the relation of changed level of these enzymes and severity of injury, combined abdominal trauma, head trauma and the presence of HBs Ag/Ab. We concluded as followed: 1) Traumatized patients had high AST than ALT during first 3 days but hepatitis patients had higher ALT than AST during throughout admission days. High ALT in hepatitis patients had statistically significance compare to traumatized patients. 2) Traumatized patients with high AST were decreased more rapidly than ALT and showed normalized enzymatic level by 3rd week. 3) The AST level was higher in severely injured patients and it was statistically significant within first 3 days. But ALT was not correlated with the severity of injury. 4) In patients with abdominal injury, AST was higher than ALT and AST had significance but ALT had none. 5) There is no specific correlation between these enzyme level in neurosurgical problem and the presence of HBsAg/Ab.