5'-nucleotidase (5'-NT) is a protein produced by the liver. A test can be done to measure the amount of this protein in your blood.

Blood is drawn from a vein, usually from the inside of the elbow or the back of the hand. The site is cleaned with germ-killing medicine (antiseptic). The health care provider wraps an elastic band around the upper arm to apply pressure to the area and make the vein swell with blood.

Next, the health care provider gently inserts a needle into the vein. The blood collects into an airtight vial or tube attached to the needle. The elastic band is removed from your arm.

Once the blood has been collected, the needle is removed, and the puncture site is covered to stop any bleeding.

In infants or young children, a sharp tool called a lancet may be used to puncture the skin and make it bleed. The blood collects into a small glass tube called a pipette, or onto a slide or test strip. A bandage may be placed over the area if there is any bleeding.

Your health care provider will instruct you, if necessary, to discontinue drugs that may interfere with the test. Drugs that may interfere with results include:

• Acetaminophen (Tylenol)
• Isoniazid
• Halothane
• Methyldopa
• Nitrofurantoin

When the needle is inserted to draw blood, some people feel moderate pain, while others feel only a prick or stinging sensation. Afterward, there may be some throbbing.

Your doctor may order this test if you have signs of a liver problem. The test is not as sensitive as some other enzymes (for example, ALP, AST, and ALT) to liver damage, but it is a more liver-specific enzyme. It is used mostly to tell if the high protein level is due to liver damage or skeletal muscle damage.

The normal value is 2 to 17 units per liter.

Note: Normal value ranges may vary slightly among different laboratories. Talk to your doctor about the meaning of your specific test results.

Greater than normal levels may indicate:

• Cholestasis
• Destruction of liver cells
• Hepatitis
• Liver ischemia
• Liver tumor
• Use of a liver-damaging drug

Veins and arteries vary in size from one patient to another and from one side of the body to the other. Obtaining a blood sample from some people may be more difficult than from others.

Other risks associated with having blood drawn are slight but may include:

• Excessive bleeding
• Fainting or feeling light-headed
• Hematoma (blood accumulating under the skin)
• Infection (a slight risk any time the skin is broken)