Hep C viral load

I just received my test results and i will be seeing a specialist soon. Can someone explain what my results mean? HVC RNA PCR  2400000 H IU/ml
range <50

Then 6.38 Log IU/ml range <1.7

Thank you

[copyman]

it means you have 2 million 4 hundred thousand little bugger virons in your blood "the day the blood was drawn", the viral load changes day to day . this was measured using a test that measures down to 50. hope this helps.

PS, dont let the viral load scare you. this means nothing on the amount of liver damage you have and is only used once you start treatment.

[nygirl7]

I believe it means 2,400,000 per mil of blood - not in your entire body.

It's really nothing to focus on that much - what is more important by far is what grade and stage you are.

[GrandOak]

see:

http://www.hepatitis-central.com/hcv/hepatitis/loadchart.html

[would-rather-be-riding]

we're all in this together.

[Pdilly]

HepC can scare everyone.  Your best defense if finding out all you can.  This is a great site and people here have huge hearts and truly understand because we either are at the same place your are or have just treated.

[dogcat]

Thank you

[CrazyTrain]

Log 6.38 (base 10) is just another way of another way of saying 2400000.

It is, (in logarithmic base 10)  the numerical equivalent.

If you have Microsoft Excel you can test this with the following:

A)     =ln(NUMBER)
       Returns the natural log of NUMBER.

B)     =log(NUMBER,BASE)
       Returns the log of NUMBER to the designated BASE.

C)     =log10(NUMBER)
       Returns the base-10 log of NUMBER.

For our test case we will use C) type the following into a cell in Microsoft Excel
        =log10(2400000)   then press ENTER
You get 6.380              

NOTE: We used C) because we knew log10  (its what we wanted to convert to)
                 AND we knew 2400000 (from the test result)

Clear as mud ?