AboutPaul Charest Expertise Any questions that have to do with hematology. Explaining laboratory tests including :coagulation (PT/aPTT), CBC, differential, ESR, and flow cytometry (leukemia/lymphoma)also including the theory behind them. Hemoglobinopathies, leukemia, lymphoma, hemostasis, hematopoiesis, and cellular morphology are a few of the topics that I teach and practice.
I also have experience with immunohematology, otherwise known as blood banking. Feel free to ask about blood types, blood groups, the type and crossmatch, transfusions, antibody identification, DAT, elutions as well as absorptions
I have also worked in a parasitology lab, as well as taught the subject as well. So feel free to ask about helminths (cestodes, trematodes, and nematodes), protozoan parasites, sporozoan etc.
Lastly, I teach a course in clinical mycology where we grow and identify yeasts and moulds.
Experience I have worked in a hematology lab, flow-cytometry lab, blood bank, and microbiology lab. I am also an instructor at Northeastern University part-time
Expert: Paul Charest Date: 5/15/2008 Subject: elevated AST
Question Hi Paul,
My regular (every 6months) metabolic panel came back today, and I am wondering if I should be concerned about my AST level. For background info, I'm a male, 36 years old, who has been on vytorin for a couple of years now (along with fluoxetine 40mg). 6months ago my labs looked great...liver tests were normal and cholesterol was really low. Since my cholesterol was so low, we lowered the vytorin dose from 40/10 to 20/10. My current lab results are all normal but my AST is slightly high: 46u/l with a reference range of 10-40u/l. My ALT is 54 with ref range of 9-60. Should I be concerned about this 46u/l level for my AST? Is that considered significantly elevated?
Thanks!
Kevin
Answer Hello Kevin,
Did you have any beers the night before? I wouldn't lose any sleep over it yet. Keep mind of it next time you go for a check-up and see if it gets worse or not. Make sure you don't drink any alcohol a few days before the test. Good job getting that cholesterol down.
