how to interpret your lab tests janice price, m.ed, rn swedish medical center hiv research program

HOW TO INTERPRET YOUR LAB TESTS

Janice Price, M.Ed, RNSwedish Medical Center HIV

Research Program

TESTS

• CBC: Complete Blood Count

• Serum Chemistries

• Liver Function/ Amylase

• Lipids: Blood Fats

• Immune System: CD4 & Viral Load

CBC: Complete Blood Count

• Red Blood Cells: RBC

• White Blood Cells:WBC

• Platelets: Plts

• Serum/Plasma

Blood Cell Types

Bone Marrow

• All Blood Cells made in bone marrow.

• Bone Marrow is the spongy centers of bones sometimes seen in cuts of meat

Stem Cells

• Stem cells are young cells

• All blood cells start as stem cells

• They get “drafted” as RBCs, WBCs or platelets depending on the body’s needs

Red Blood Cells

• Called erythrocytes

• “cytes” = cells

• Shaped like bagel with hole covered over

• Filled with hemoglobin that carries oxygen from the lungs to every cell in the body.

Utah State University

White Blood Cells

• WBCs are disease fighters

• Some make antibodies and some fight invaders directly

• Divided into categories depending on function and what they look like.

Types of White Cells

• Lymphocytes: B and T cells. Agranulocytes

• Granulocytes: polymorphonucleocoytes mostly neutrophils (55-80%), also basophils and eosonophils

• Monocytes: mature into macrophages (big eaters)

A macrophage attacking a bacteria with a cellular extension called a pseudopod

Abbreviations

• RBC = Red Blood Cell

• WBC = White Blood Cell

• HCT = Hematocrit

• Hbg = Hemoglobin

• ANC = Absolute Neutrophil Count

CBC

TESTS OF IMMUNE FUNCTION

A human cell infected with a rhinovirus ruptures, relasing millions of new viruses

A human T-helper cell is under attack by HIV virus

Viral Load Tests

• PCR: Most common. Usually expressed has HIV-1 PCR in copies per milliliter. Roche Amplicor

• bDNA: values are different. Usually ½ of PCR value

• NASBA: nucleic acid sequence based amplification. Values are also different

UNDETECTABLE VIRAL LOAD DOES NOT MEAN NO

VIRUS PRESENT

Remember: there are other places for virus to hide

Viral Load Expressed as Log

10 x = viral load

Genotype/Phenotype

Blood Types