HEPATITIS C VIRAL LOAD (QUANTITATIVE)

Sub Category

Infectious Diseases

Synonym/Aliases

Hcv Rna Quantitation; Hcv Quantitative Pcr; Hcv Viral Load; Hcv Nucleic Acid Test (Nat); Hcv Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (Naat).

Abbreviations

HCV RNA; HCV VL; HCV NAT; HCV NAAT

^Type

Individual Test

^Results

RESULTS READY WITHIN 10 DAYS

^Method

PCR

^Temp

REFRIGERATED, 2-8ºC (3 DAYS); FROZEN (>30 DAYS; EDTA PLASMA OR SERUM).

^Setup

BATCHED

Components Parameters

- N/A

PRE-ANALYTIC CONSIDERATIONS

Test Ordering Instructions

FILL OUT TEST REQUEST FORM FULLY & LEGIBLY. SPECIFY SAMPLE TYPE. SPECIFY EXACT HCV NAT/ HCV PCR TYPE I.E. QUALITATIVE (FOR DIAGNOSIS) OR QUANTITATIVE (FOR TREATMENT MONITORING IN PATIENTS IN WHOM DIAGNOSIS HAS ALREADY BEEN ESTABLISHED).

Patient preparation

- N/A

Sample type

VARIABLE E.G. EDTA PLASMA/ SERUM

Container/ preservative

EDTA PLASMA IN SEPARATION VIAL, EDTA WHOLE BLOOD IN PLASMA SEPARATION TUBE (PST), SERUM SEPARATOR TUBE (SST).

Sample volume

5 ML EDTA WHOLE BLOOD OR 2ML EDTA PLASMA/ SERUM.

Rejection criteria

LABELING ISSUE (UNLABELED/ MISLABELED); MISSING REQUEST FORM; MISMATCH BETWEEN REQUEST FORM & SAMPLE DETAILS; MISSING AGE/ GENDER; WRONG SAMPLE TYPE (E.G. HEPARIN); INSUFFICIENT SAMPLE.

Other Instructions

- N/A

Reference intervals

NOT DETECTED/ NEGATIVE

Clinical Utility

MONITOR VIRAL LOAD & TREATMENT RESPONSE IN CHRONIC HCV INFECTION

Test Limitations/ Confounders

PRESENCE OF PCR INHIBITORS IN THE SAMPLE MAY PREVENT NUCLEIC ACID AMPLIFICATION. PARADOXICAL RESULTS MAY ARISE DUE TO SELECTION OF INAPPROPRIATE SPECIMEN AND CONTAMINATION DURING SPECIMEN COLLECTION.