Human Immunodeficiency Virus viral load

Healthscope Molecular uses the latest technology from Roche Diagnostics, the ‘Taqman 48’ real time PCR machine running the COBAS Taqman HIV-1 assay. This new assay has a number of advantages over the previously available one. These include having a greater quantitative detection range (40 to 10,000,000 copies/ml making it unnecessary to request ultrasensitive assays) and incorporating a quantitative standard to compensate for inhibition /extraction variables.

Specimen Requirement

EDTA blood ( a minimum of 1.5 mL plasma to be aliquotted within 6 hours of collection and refridgerated if sent to laboratory the same day, or frozen if sent the next day.