Question

What follow-up should be done after an exposure to HCV?

Answer 1

After an exposure to HCV, a confirmatory test should be done to definitively diagnose a hepatitis C infection.

Step-by-step explanation:

After an exposure to HCV (hepatitis C virus), several follow-up steps should be taken:

1. Patients who test positive on an initial antibody-based test should undergo a confirmatory test to rule out the possibility of a false positive.
2. The confirmatory test directly tests for the presence of hepatitis C viral RNA in the blood and is more expensive and time-consuming.
3. If the confirmatory test comes back positive, the patient can be definitively diagnosed with a hepatitis C infection.