LFT and KFT blood tests: what they show

LFT means liver function tests. The panel may include enzymes, bilirubin, proteins, and other markers that help assess liver irritation, bile flow, and processing function. KFT means kidney function tests. These commonly examine creatinine, urea, electrolytes, and estimated filtration. A result outside the laboratory range does not identify one diagnosis on its own; medicines, hydration, recent illness, and long-term conditions can influence results.

Ask whether fasting, medication timing, or avoiding strenuous activity is needed. Tell the clinician about prescribed medicines, supplements, alcohol use, pregnancy, and recent vomiting or diarrhoea. Have the report reviewed rather than comparing one value in isolation. Follow-up may involve repeating the panel, adding urine tests, or checking other blood markers. Do not alter prescribed treatment because of a single flagged result.

Contact the requesting clinician when results are abnormal or you develop ongoing swelling, reduced urine, yellowing of the skin, persistent vomiting, unusual bleeding, or marked weakness. Seek urgent help for confusion, severe breathlessness, collapse, severe abdominal pain, or inability to keep fluids down. The urgency depends on the result pattern and your symptoms.

Which LFT or KFT marker is outside range, and what does that pattern suggest? Could hydration, a medicine, or recent illness explain it? When should it be checked again?