I have looked at my sister's last labs and need some help interpreting. It is obvious that everyone looks at only the labs and if they "look good" then you must feel good. Again, my sister Jill is 5'6" and 78 pounds and, yes most of her labs "look good" but obviously something is very wrong.

Today has been a scary day but things seem to be getting better. Jill's heart rate has slowed down and, while she is still lethargic, her breathing seems less labored.
I read somewhere that kt/v readings are the most important. Could someone tell me how to calculate? Jill's readings from 10/26/01(last blood work done!!!) are:

BUN (pre) 7
BUN (post) 1
URR 86
Iron 60
HBG 12.1
HCT 36.2
albumin 3.2
Bicarbonate 3.4
Aluminum Unstim 12
Intact PTH 948
As I said, based on the ranges given I can see that someone not looking at Jill would think, wow, they look good. But she is definitely not doing well. Also, looked up in Jill's medical book and found the PTH was her parathyroid, which obviously is way out of wack.

So any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you

The typical tx for PTH control is vitamin D therapy. Paatients receive an injectable drug, like Zemplar, to lower and control PTH. At 978, something should be done soon.

Based on her BUN (pre) and her albumin, she is not eating which would most certainly attribute to her drastic weight loss and lethargy and she could be suffering from "failure to thrive" who's root cause in adults is usually depression. I would suggest getting her to see a psychiatrist and have him/her prescribe an antidepressant not her nephrologist.

Thanks everyone. You are all correct in that, based on her lab readings, something should be done - but typically the labs are basically filed and that's it.

So, that's where the info we are receiving on this and other sites is so helpful. For example, learned the other day that her aluminum levels were way too high - but no one in the center has commented on that - other than to say, when asked what it meant - "don't know".

Agree with those that have said she needs to eat - so does she - problem is when she does, 90% of the time she gets sick to her stomache.... starting to look like a combination of a lot of things are contributing to this.... none of which are obvious in and of themselves.

Of course, as you all know, it's difficult to find a doc who will look at an individual as just that - with their own anomolys that may not fit the typical pattern.

So, again, thanks everyone. We're starting to find little clues that may all be contributing. For example, high aluminum can:
(1) cause hyperparathyroidism
(2) induce anemia
(3) inhibit protein synthesis & enzyme activity

and dementia