A nurse is caring for a patient newly diagnosed with hepatitis B. The patient asks why the provider ordered a liver function test and what elevated results would mean. Which explanation by the nurse best describes why liver enzymes such as ALT and AST become elevated in hepatitis?
- The kidneys are compensating for reduced liver function by releasing stored enzymes into the bloodstream.
- Inflammation and damage to liver cells cause them to leak enzymes into the bloodstream, raising serum levels.
- The liver overproduces enzymes in response to viral infection as a protective mechanism.
- Elevated liver enzymes indicate that the virus has spread beyond the liver to the gastrointestinal tract.