In the routine diagnosis of hepatitis C virus,which type of laboratory test should be ordered first?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The first laboratory test to be ordered in routine diagnosis of hepatitis C virus is antibody detection in blood. This is because the primary immune response to HCV infection is the production of antibodies against the virus, which can be detected in the blood as early as 4-8 weeks after infection. If the antibody test is positive, then further tests such as viral load testing or confirmation testing may be ordered. Antigen detection in liver biopsy, viral culture of stool, and viral culture of biliary drainage are not routinely ordered for the diagnosis of hepatitis C virus.

In the Routine Diagnosis of Hepatitis C Virus,which Type of Laboratory