Elevated alkaline phosphatase places the patient at risk for

• A. Coagulopathy
• B. Metabolic alkalosis
• C. Respiratory alkalosis
• D. Hyponatremia

Answer: (A)

Elevated alkaline phosphatase points to possible liver or biliary tract dysfunction. The liver is responsible for producing most of the clotting factors, so when hepatic function is impaired, production of these factors can drop. That reduction increases the risk of abnormal bleeding or coagulopathy. The other options don’t represent direct consequences of ALP elevation: metabolic or respiratory alkalosis are acid-base disturbances, and hyponatremia is an electrolyte issue not caused by ALP level alone. In practice, an elevated ALP should prompt assessment of coagulation status (e.g., INR/PT) to evaluate for coagulopathy.