My daughter has high SGPT. Is it due to liver damage?

Question

Hi doctor,

My 2-year-old daughter had an abscess on left side of her face. We got it operated and the biopsy result found to be tuberculosis. But, 45 days of TB culture report came back negative. It was operated a year ago and she was started on TB drug. The medicines prescribed were tablet Macox ZH kid 1.5, Combutol 200 1 tablet daily, Livolexin 3.5 ml and Hycibex 5 ml. Yesterday, her LFT values showed SGPT 43 against normal laboratory value of 35 and SGOT 23 against normal value of 35. Rest everything are normal. It appears that SGPT value is very high. We are worried as her liver might have got damaged. Kindly prescribe some medicine. She had Combutol for six months and within a month Macox ZH kid was replaced by Macox plus. She does not have active TB now.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

1. Your daughter is getting all the medication required for TB (tuberculosis). The medication does have some side effects like the liver enzymes SGPT (serum glutamic-pyruvic transaminase) and SGOT (serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase), which were done was raised.

2. Slight rise is not a cause of worry, 35 to 40 is usually normal. SGOT is normal.

3. If the value increases 3 times more than normal or the child has symptoms related to the liver like jaundice, decrease in appetite (can happen with TB also); white stools or itching, then we stop the medication temporarily. We should treat for the liver problem first and then depending on the child's condition can restart medication.

4. For your child we need not start any medication now as she has no such symptoms. Kindly take her to the treating doctor. He or she would examine your child and probably might ask to repeat tests later and a close follow up.

5. Remember even if your child does not have active TB, sheneeds to complete her treatment duration as the bacteria would not disappear completely. Otherwise, she might be well for few days, and the symptoms will reappear.