Test Overview

Test Methodology

Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR)

Test Usage

Measures the HCV viral load present at the time of specimen collection. Used as an aid to establish the pretreatment viral load in patients with documented, active hepatitis C infection and to monitor response to treatment.

Reference Range*

Not Detected (<12 IU/mL HCV RNA).

* Reference ranges may change over time. Please refer to the original patient report when evaluating results.

Test Limitations

A single assay result should not be used as the only criteria to form a clinical conclusion. Results should be correlated with serologic test results, patient symptoms and clinical presentation.

Test Details

Days Test Performed

Varies; test performed twice per week

Analytic Time

8 hours

Soft Order Code

QHCV

MiChart Code

Hepatitis C RNA, Quantitative, PCR

Synonyms

Laboratory

Microbiology

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Specimen Requirements

Offsite Collection Instructions

Collect specimen in a red top, or SST or lavender tube. Centrifuge for 20 minutes at 800-1600 xg at room temperature, aliquot EDTA plasma or serum into a polypropylene plastic vial within 6 hours of collection and refrigerate up to 3 days or freeze for longer storage. Do not allow frozen specimens to thaw at any time during storage or transport. Specimens submitted in polystyrene tubes are not acceptable. Specimens sent for Microbiology molecular testing require a dedicated sample and cannot be shared with other laboratories.

Rejection Criteria

Specimens received in polystyrene aliquot tubes are unacceptable and will be rejected.

Container

Normal Volume

2 mL serum or EDTA plasma

Minimum Volume

1 mL serum or EDTA plasma

Additional Information

If the result is greater than 8.0 log10 IU/mL, a dilution of the sample will be run to determine an exact quantification. For MLabs, please contact client service center if actual viral load is needed. Specimen will be held for 1 month.

Billing Information

Fee Codes

CPT Code

87522

LOINC

11011-4

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