What do you do if you receive a
negative test?
If the result of your rapid antibody test is negative
and you feel as though you fall into the category of an
at risk patient, it would be beneficial to follow-up with
your doctor for further blood testing. There is always
the chance of false-negatives and false-positives with
rapid testing, therefore, proper follow-up with your
doctor is always encouraged and recommended.
What do you do if you receive
positive test?
If a positive test is received from the initial Hep
C screening, you should follow up with a doctor
to confirm the results. Start by explaining to your
doctor that you think you may have been infected
with the Hepatitis C Virus possibly according to a
rapid antibody test performed at your local clinic
or pharmacy and that you would like to confirm
the diagnosis so that you may begin treatment if
indicated. These results will then be confirmed by
traditional blood testing methods from your doctor.
What are the next steps in traditional
blood testing performed by a
doctor?
Your doctor will confirm with the use of serologic
testing whether or not you possess the Hepatitis C
antibodies through enzyme immunoassay and the
recombinant immunoblot assay which can be used
to supplement or confirm the diagnosis. Hepatitis
C RNA is then measured using polymerase chain
reaction or branched chain DNA assays. The disease
severity