What does it mean when billruben shows up in your urine?

Answer 1

You could be getting jaundiced, are your eyes tinged yellow or your skin. Call your doctor and in the mean time drink plenty of fluids and get some sun. The best way to fight jaundice in newborns is with sunshine so it should help you as well.

Answer 2

Biliruben isn't tested for in urine. Be more specific.

Answer 3

It means you better go have your liver function checked.

Answer 4

If your talking about Bilirubin, here is some info.....

When bilirubin levels are high, a condition called jaundice occurs, and further testing is needed to determine the cause. Too much bilirubin may mean that too much is being produced (usually due to increased destruction of red blood cells (hemolysis) or that the liver is incapable of adequately removing bilirubin in a timely manner (due to blockage of bile ducts, liver diseases ((such as cirrhosis, acute hepatitis), or inherited problems with bilirubin handling).
It is not uncommon to see high bilirubin levels in newborns, typically 1 to 3 days old. This is sometimes called physiologic jaundice of the newborn. Within the first 24 hours of life, up to 50% of full-term newborns, and an even greater percentage of pre-term babies, may have a high bilirubin level. This is because at birth, the newborn’s liver is not fully mature and lacks the ability to process bilirubin as well as normal. This situation usually resolves itself within a few days. In other instances, newborns’ red blood cells (RBCs) may have been destroyed because of blood incompatibilities between the baby and its mother, called hemolytic disease of the newborn.

In adults or older children, bilirubin is measured to diagnose and/or monitor liver diseases, such as cirrhosis, hepatitis, or gallstones. Patients with sickle cell disease or other causes of hemolytic anemia may have episodes where excessive RBC destruction takes place, raising bilirubin levels.


A doctor usually orders a bilirubin test in conjunction with other laboratory tests (alkaline phosphatase, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase) for a patient who shows signs of abnormal liver function. A bilirubin level may be ordered when a patient shows evidence of jaundice (yellowing of eyes or skin), has a history of drinking excessive amounts of alcohol, suspected drug toxicity, or has been exposed to hepatitis viruses. Other symptoms that may be present include dark, amber-colored urine, nausea/vomiting, or abdominal pain and/or swelling. Fatigue and general malaise often accompany chronic liver disease. Determining a neonatal bilirubin level is considered

Newborns: Excessive bilirubin kills developing brain cells in infants and may cause mental retardation, physical abnormalities, or blindness. It is important that bilirubin in newborns does not get too high. When the level of bilirubin is above a critical threshold, special treatments are initiated to lower it. An excessive bilirubin level may result from the breakdown of red blood cells (RBCs) due to Rh blood typing incompatibility. (Mother is Rh negative [Rh-], father is Rh positive [Rh+], and fetus is Rh+; mother develops antibodies against the newborn’s RBCs, which are destroyed.)

Adults and children: Bilirubin levels can be used to identify liver damage/disease or to monitor the progression of jaundice. If conjugated bilirubin is elevated, there may be some kind of blockage of the liver or bile duct, hepatitis, trauma to the liver, a drug reaction, or long-term alcohol abuse. Inherited disorders caused by abnormal bilirubin metabolism (Gilbert’s, Rotor’s, Dubin-Johnson, Crigler-Najjar syndromes) may also cause increased levels.

Although bilirubin may be toxic to brain development in newborns (up to the age of about 2–4 weeks), high bilirubin in older children and adults does not pose the same threat. In older children and adults, the “blood-brain barrier” is more developed and prevents bilirubin from crossing this barrier to the brain cells. Elevated bilirubin levels in children or adults, however, strongly suggest a medical condition that must be evaluated and treated.

Bilirubin levels tend to be slightly higher in males than females, while African Americans show lower values. Strenuous exercise may also increase bilirubin levels.

Treatment depends on the cause of the jaundice. In newborns, phototherapy (special light therapy), blood exchange transfusion in severe cases, and certain drugs may reduce the bilirubin level. In Gilbert’s, Rotor’s, and Dubin-Johnson, no treatment is usually necessary. Crigler-Najjar syndrome may respond to certain enzyme drug therapy or may require a liver transplant. Jaundice caused by an obstruction often is resolved by surgery to remove the blockage. Jaundice due to cirrhosis is a result of long-term alcohol abuse and may not respond well to any type of therapy, though abstaining from alcohol and good nutrition may improve the situation if the liver has not been damaged too badly.

While there is no one specific thing, it is clear that excessive and long- term alcohol consumption can lead to cirrhosis and a permanently damaged liver. Avoiding alcohol and over-use/long-term use of drugs and eating a proper diet may help to sustain a healthy liver. Blockages due to duct stones, pancreatic cancer, or cysts may require surgery.
If you still have a question about your test or need help interpreting the results of your test, you can visit the ASCLS web site to complete a lab testing information request form, and a certified clinical laboratory scientist will gladly help you! Your communication will be kept confidential. Here is a website for ASCLS.....

http://www.ascls.org/labtesting/disclaimer.asp

Hope this helps! Good Luck!