Viral load (PCR) results on Tx: What delays?

[mike716]

Hi, folks. I hope the weather wherever you are is better than it is in New York, where the rain and fog has set in.

I've got a question for people who have done therapy through an MD (not a trial): What is the delay between having blood taken for a viral load test and getting back the results?

The reason I ask is that I may end up having to arrange for my own tests, if I can ever get in therapy, and different labs and online testing companies have different delays in getting out the results. So I'm interested in peoples' experiences, and also wondering how important speedy results are.

Cheers.

Mike

[mike716]

How am I going to do lab work (CBC and VL) without insurance, without a doctor monitoring me, and without a hospital or lab? Any ideas?

One way I've found online is through Life Extension Foundation, where I've been buying my supps. They work with Labcorp and do both CBC and PCR VL. But they weren't able to tell me where to go for the blood draws, and the VL draw needs special treatment (separation of serum from blood, freezing, etc.).

What sort of place does these types of specialized blood draws? Are there private clinics that do them> Can I just waltz into a hospital and get it done (paying for it)?

It's going to be pretty absurd if I get the meds and then can't use them because I can't get the tests done

Mike

[hepcandme]

I concur with Dee. The labs usually get posted to my patient portal within 24 hours - Except for the viral load that is "Top Secret" and must be read by my doc first who then sends me an email.

This last time it took a week for the VL results

But this includes me bugging them (nicely, of course - Eagerly waiting my viral load results messages...)

We are odd ducks who sit by our computer after labs are done, anxiously awaiting the results, measuring MELD scores with a handy tool on our desktop - although I could do a MELD score pretty well without a calculator these days and we know everyone in the blood draw clinic and who does a good "stick"

I have even pulled over to the side of the road to check my lab results on my cell phone

Tragically funny, I guess

Happy with my results though - Undetected after end of treatment! Can't wait to have my blood drawn again!

[mike716]

Hey, Dee, how's it going?

[Dee1956]

Hey there! Great to see you!  When I would get my blood work the regular took a few days but the viral load took about a week.

Good luck
D

[mike716]

Gee, I hope my potassium doesn't go up. It sounds dreadful.

I couldn't quite get my head around it all (I have attention span problems and a defective short-term memory), but have filed your potassium discussion for future reference.

M.

[nursehepc]

omission correction....sorbitol mixed with Kayexalate (powder) (this is what binds the potassium).

[nursehepc]

My potassium did not go to 6.5.

But my guess is that they would probably tell you to come in for a redraw (could be a pseudo elevation based on the blood draw) and to restrict potassium....and they would do an EKG (you can see changes...)...  Hyperkalemia (potassium greater than 5) can lead to lethal cardiac consequences (cardiac arrest)  if it gets close to 7 and treatment would be based on causes. Dialysis (for when your renal function is the reason that your potassium is high...or as an emergency measure)...sorbitol (binds potassium and gets rid of it through the bowel...taken orally and by enema)...insulin (high potassium levels can occur when BS poorly controlled)....certain drugs can also contribute to high potassium levels for some people and folks may need to be monitored for a bit for certain meds to make sure that potassium is not an issue (some potassium sparing BP meds, for example).... LOL...aren't you glad you asked?

Yeah. LabCorp does seem to do alot of the specialty-type diagnostic blood testing...Jo

[mike716]

Hi, Jo.

3 -5 days for a VL? Pretty good. Maybe I won't use LEF's tests as they take too long. Can't really wait two weeks for a VL.

Labcorp seems to have a corner on the test market. Everyone's using them.

So, what happens when your potassium goes to 6.5?

M.

[mike716]

Hi.

> Good to see you are getting closer to treatment.

Don't know if I'm getting any closer, Lynn, but I couldn't be getting much further away . Do you know the old song that goes: "Been down so long it looks like up to me"?

The company I get my supplements from, Life Extension Foundation, does lab work via Labcorp and has very advantageous pricing. I spoke with them today about the Quantitative HCV RNA PCR (viral load) and was told that it could take anywhere up to 10-14 days. Seemed like a lot. If you're checking viral load at weeks 4, 8, and 12, what's the good of getting the results two weeks after the draw? And for the 12-week draw it would be particularly awful waiting to see if you were UND. I mean, you already stopped taking the meds, so if the test detected even a little virus, you couldn't go back on the meds.

The test is Taqman v2.0, and Labcorp's website says it has a low-end sensitivity of 15 IU/mL, which isn't the best available but still pretty good.

LEF said their CBC, which includes an LFP, takes less time, which is good.

Mike

[hepc4Sandi]

Hi Mike, even though I was treated through a hospital the viral load test took 7 days usually, CBC blood test could be done stat for same day results, important for anemia, etc., or at least if not stat, next day.

[nursehepc]

The viral load takes a little more time (3-5 days). Last time, I had blood drawn on a Wed and when I called on Tuesday to give my new insurance info., they had my viral load results. Now, results of most chemistries, hematology draws are posted on MyChart (the hospital I treat with just added MyChart) within  a couple of days and issues are communicated within hours to 24 hours when there are problems that you need to be alerted to (e.g.; cripes your Hgb dropped to where your blood looks like water - grin [I had a drop of 4 points in my hgb in 13 days and was called within an hour to reduce my Ribavirin dose], or your potassium is 6.5 and you need to....).  I am treated at a major teaching hospital with a transplant program. Things like Fibrosure are sent to Lab Corp and Genotyping takes a week as I recall. Jo

[mike716]

Hi, Nan.

That's the advantage of Tx-ing at a hospital. The lab work is all in-house. I can see why getting the lab work done quickly is so important for your hubby.

Thanks for reminding me that some results are important for modulating med dosages, particularly the anemia indicators. I had forgotten about that. Can't really wait for two weeks to find out you're anemic. But this probably isn't so important if I'm not on Interferon or Ribavirin. I don't think the DAAs alone cause anemia. I could be wrong, though.

Cheers.

Mike

[flyinlynn]

Hi Mike

Good to see you are getting closer to treatment.

My dr is in Seattle so I go to my local lab corp in Auburn. They send the results and eventually the get posted to "My Chart" a website. Seems like some post faster than others with the viral load taking the longest to show up about 10 days while LFP and CBC seem to have been taking a week.

Good luck
Lynn

[nan535]

My husband has his labwork done at the hospital where the liver transplant center that is overseeing his care is. As a result his results are back within 1-2 days depending on the test.  The importance of having results back in a timely manner for him is as he is post transplant, its important that his results are in real time and reflect what is actually happening with him in the present  which will allow his doctors to make appropriate adjustments to his medications.

Everyone is different and depending on their particular circumstances getting labwork results quickly may or may not be as important as it is for my husband.

Best wishes for you, Mike.

Nan