Changes in "routine laboratory tests" during abstinence after heavy alcohol consumption in chronic alcoholics

Standard laboratory tests were studied in 61 male chronic alcoholics admitted for detoxication after a period of heavy alcohol consumption. Results obtained within three days after the end of the last debauche were compared with those obtained one week later. Almost half of the patients was considered to have thrombocytopenia, two thirds of the patients had subnormal serum urea values and more than two thirds of the patients were considered to have increased ASAT values. Abnormal values often normalized within one week after admission. Significant alterations within the reference limits were observed for hemoglobin, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, sodium, potassium and bilirubin. The latter test often showed strikingly low values after one week. Most of the aberrations and the changes could be related to details in the case histories.