Use for determination of active ongoing HCV infection, monitoring of longer term disease progression and response to antiviral therapies.
Blood sample (plasma)
Pink top EDTA (6ml)
Samples from patients known to have blood transmissible viral infections should be clearly labelled “High Risk” or “Danger of Infection”.
Please state if patient is on antiviral treatment.
If this is post needlestick monitoring following injury from a known HCV +ve donor, send a sample within 48 hours of injury. Include details of the incident, i.e. date, and name/hospital number of the donor (with their consent).
Local test
8 days
Viral loads will be reported in IU/ml and where appropriate a log will be given.
Lower limit of detection 15 IU/ml
Lower limit of quantification 15 IU/ml
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hepatitis-c-guidance-data-and-analysis
(Key words: HepC)
Specimen Labelling Procedure
9018
