Scared nurse

[Peachynurse]

I am a healthcare provider who had a needlestick in march of this year. Pt was HCV +. I had a hcv antibody come back reactive yesterday and my world has been upside down since. It was 15 weeks since the needlestick.  My s/c ratio is 1.29. I am going back to employer today to have PCR drawn. any advice?? Encouragement?? Feeling very overwhelmed and consumed by this.

[Peachynurse]

He is NOT wanting to consider tx at this point. No way!

He is simply making a statement thru his nurse practitioner (who is a friend of mine) that I may want to ask for a different test. A ultra quantitative. That is all there is to it at this point.

I was just wondering if y'all knew the difference in qualitative PCR (which I had) and ultra quantitative which is what he mentioned in casual conversation.

At this pout I have NO doctor and am being seen by my hospitals employee health dept. They have policy's in place for this kind of thing and have doctors that are over the dept and medical directors. So at this point I am by scheduled for any form of anything until sept 5.

[nygirl7]

I think the common test would be <50 and if it came up less but detectible wouldn't it say detected <50 meaning it was lower but not counted at that sensitivity?  I mean please dont tell me they used the old old old <615 test that wouldn't make any sense.

[Jakied]

      Something is not adding up here.  You have a neg Pcr, correct?  That means you

  do NOT have Hcv.  there is NO reason to begin treatment.  a qualitative Pcr is very

  sensitive and your post says it was neg.  for sure, you do not have Hcv.

   IMO, there is a good chance you do not have the antibody to Hcv.  that is why I

   suggested you ask for the Riba test.  Is your doctor confusing hep C antibody

   and hep C virus?  Something is not adding up here.

[Peachynurse]

Hey nygirl7, He was wanting a more specific test I think to detect lower levels of the virus if there were any present so that tx could start sooner than the 6 month time frame.

I understood him to mean that the ultraquant could detect sometimes what the qualitative PCR couldn't. Who knows though? Could have been just an md test preference. I have no worries was just kinda wanting all the forum experts to weigh in!!

Thanks and I am going to enjoy my neg PCR results as some of you  suggested!

[nygirl7]

The md wants to treat as soon as possible since I am at 17 weeks so I guess that's why he wants the ultraquant PCR??? "

If you had a PCR come back negative I can't see why he would want to treat you, it means you do not have the virus.  I mean the test they used couldn't have been that old.....

[Jakied]

         Do your self a favor and ask for the Riba confirmatory antibody test.  Since your

  screening test was a 'weak pos' thre is a good chance your Riba will be neg and then

  ALL your worries are over.