How to Screen for Hepatitis C

Hepatitis is any of one of a group of six liver diseases caused by viruses. These types of hepatitis are designated as A, B, C, D, E and G, with C generally considered to be the most serious. All forms of hepatitis cause the liver to become inflamed and reduce its ability to function. The tests for hepatitis C are not part of a routine physical, and physicians normally screen only patients that are at high risk for hepatitis C. There are several different tests for hepatitis C, depending on the specific information that the physician requires.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Identify who has a high risk for hepatitis C. These include people who have been exposed to infected blood or tissue, past and current drug users, the children of chronically infected mothers and people with abnormal levels of liver enzymes.

2. Perform an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). This test detects hepatitis C antibodies, so it may require up to six months after the initial infection to produce a positive result.

3. Perform a recombinant immunoblot assay (RIBA) if the ELISA results are positive. The ELISA results are only a preliminary screen and need to verified by additional tests. A RIBA may provide positive, negative or indeterminate result.

4. Perform RNA testing for patients who may have recently been exposed to hepatitis C. This test can detect hepatitis C antibodies within three weeks after exposure and may also be helpful in assessing a patient's response to a particular therapy.

5. Use the results of the tests in steps 2, 3 and 4 to make a diagnosis of hepatitis C. A positive result on all three tests indicates an ongoing infection, while a positive ELISA and a positive result on one of the other two tests indicates a past or current infection.

References

• Mayo Clinic

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