Final answer:
The Rapid Mono test is an immunoassay for detecting heterophile antibodies that indicate infectious mononucleosis. It is a quick and non-complex test often conducted in healthcare settings or instructional laboratories using samples of patient serum.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Rapid Mono test is a qualitative immunoassay used for the detection of heterophile antibodies in a patient's blood. These antibodies may indicate infectious mononucleosis (IM), often associated with the Epstein-Barr virus or Cytomegalovirus. The test generally involves a sample of the patient's serum and specially treated animal red blood cells, such as horse red blood cells used in the Sure-Vue Color Mono Test kit. If heterophile antibodies are present, agglutination or clumping of these red blood cells will occur, signaling a positive result.
The Rapid Mono test can be found in clinical laboratories, doctor's offices, and may also be used in educational settings under instructor guidance. Your instructor will demonstrate the test procedure, which includes the use of both positive and negative controls to ensure accuracy. Detection is visually determined by a color change on a membrane filter, similar to how over-the-counter pregnancy tests work.
This test is part of a broader category of diagnostics that detect antibodies for various pathogens, providing a rapid and simple method to help clinicians diagnose conditions like IM. A positive Enzyme Immunoassay (EIA) test, which is also a type of immunoassay, typically indicates by a color change due to an enzyme-mediated reaction when the target antibody binds to an antigen.