Gastrointestinal Assessment Questions Related

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What test will be done before prescribing treatment for the patient with positive testing for HCV?

  • A. Anti-HCV
  • B. HCV RNA quantitation
  • C. HCV genotyping
  • D. Recombinant immunoblot assay (RIBA)
Correct Answer: C

Rationale: The correct answer is C: HCV genotyping. Before prescribing treatment for a patient with positive HCV testing, genotyping is essential to determine the specific strain of HCV present. This information guides treatment decisions as different HCV genotypes respond differently to antiviral medications. Anti-HCV (choice A) is used for initial screening but does not provide genotype information. HCV RNA quantitation (choice B) measures viral load but does not identify the genotype. Recombinant immunoblot assay (RIBA) (choice D) is an older confirmatory test and is not typically used for initial treatment decision-making.