Do you know what high direct bilirubin is?

Bilirubin is an indicator used to check the normal liver function of the body. Bilirubin is divided into direct bilirubin and indirect bilirubin. The normal index of direct bilirubin is 1.71-7μmol/L, and the normal index of indirect bilirubin is 1.7-13.7μmol/L. If the direct bilirubin is high, it will seriously affect the health index of the liver. So what is the cause of high direct bilirubin and what effects will it have?

1. Massive destruction of red blood cells.

When a large number of red blood cells are destroyed, the indirect bilirubin in the human body will increase a lot. At this time, the liver cannot convert all of it, resulting in an increase in indirect bilirubin in the blood. The main causes of high bilirubin at this time are: leukemia, severe anemia, malaria, hemolytic anemia, etc.

2. Liver disease.

The liver and gallbladder have a very close relationship, and liver and gallbladder diseases usually occur at the same time. Patients with poor liver function will be found to have high bilirubin during examination. Because the liver is the place where direct bilirubin and indirect bilirubin are converted, when the liver is diseased, the conversion ability of the two types of bilirubin is reduced, thereby increasing the bilirubin in the blood; at the same time, patients with liver disease have difficulty in excreting direct bilirubin, which flows back into the blood. Liver disease patients with high bilirubin may experience symptoms such as yellow skin, yellow urine and yellow eyes.

3. Biliary tract disease.

Increased direct bilirubin is common in bile duct diseases. Direct bilirubin enters the intestine from the bile duct. If the bile duct is blocked, direct bilirubin cannot enter the intestine smoothly and thus flows back into the blood, resulting in high bilirubin. The main causes of high bilirubin at this time are: gallstones, bile duct tumors, pancreatic head cancer, etc.

4. Blood transfusion error.

During clinical blood transfusion, if the blood type does not match, it will cause hemolysis and destroy red blood cells, resulting in a large amount of indirect bilirubin being released into the blood, causing high bilirubin.

5. Neonatal jaundice.

Many people do not understand why newborns have jaundice. In fact, it is because the blood type of the newborn and the mother is incompatible, which leads to hemolysis and causes high bilirubin. At the same time, congenital bile duct malformations in newborns can also cause high bilirubin.