Currently, doctors have complete information about a disease such as chicken pox: its causative agent, pathways of infection, the course of infection, the causes of complications, and treatment tactics are known. Using laboratory methods, it is possible to diagnose atypical forms, detect the presence of antibodies in the blood, and differentiate chickenpox from other pathologies. What is the analysis for chickenpox called and why is it needed? This will be discussed further.
general information
The viral disease chickenpox, which is most often called chickenpox, is easily tolerated in childhood, but it is quite difficult in adult individuals. The Varicella-zoster virus is the cause of the disease, once having been ill, a person remains a carrier of the virus for life. With HIV infection, severe fatigue, stress, decreased immunity, the risk of another pathology is high - depriving of the shingles. Therefore, the diagnosis of chickenpox is of great importance. Doctors are mainly diagnosed with a specific rash and appropriate clinic. In some cases, to clarify or identify whether the patient was ill with this disease in childhood, an analysis of chickenpox is necessary. What is the name of this study? This question is often asked by the doctor. There are several ways to detect the presence of a virus, so there is no single name.
For this, special methods are used - PCR, ELISA, RIF and others. Therapy of the disease is carried out on an outpatient basis. Doctors recommend treating skin rashes with antiseptic, antihistamine, and antiviral medications. At high temperatures, take antipyretic drugs. It is strictly forbidden to comb bubbles. In order to reduce itching, a frequent change of linen and bedding is indicated.
Reasons why the doctor recommends passing the test
Of course, there is no acute need for laboratory research on chickenpox. However, for some patients, doctors recommend it for monitoring and timely adjustment of therapy in case of complications.
A blood test for chickenpox is shown:
- With primary herpes zoster or herpes in adult individuals.
- In children with erased symptoms and a severe course of the disease. They are prescribed this analysis only in doubtful cases, i.e., to confirm the diagnosis.
- When repeated rashes appear.
- With the erased symptoms of the disease in adult individuals. Older people can hardly tolerate it, unlike children. In addition, they often experience various complications. Research results provide an opportunity to get a complete clinical picture and, if necessary, adjust therapy.
- To clarify the fact of the disease in the past. Due to the fact that the signs of the disease are similar to skin diseases, it is recommended that the patient pass the biomaterial to refute or confirm the presence of the active form of the virus.
- Women awaiting the appearance of crumbs.
It should be noted that adults rarely get chickenpox, as survivors develop a stable immunity in childhood. Therefore, with the appearance of skin rashes, similar in nature to chickenpox, doctors primarily suspect skin pathology. And if the individual did not suffer from chickenpox in childhood, then this analysis is shown to him.
Research on chickenpox in pregnant women
Gynecologists recommend that all women in a position who do not have information about whether they had this illness in childhood have an analysis. If you receive a negative answer, you should be careful: avoid places where there are a lot of people, do not attend school and preschool institutions.
When a pregnant woman has a clinical picture of an ailment, an antibody test is considered mandatory. Infection in the early stages can result in spontaneous abortion, in the later - with malformations of the baby or stillbirth.
Doctors advise women who plan to conceive to get tested for chickenpox antibodies and find out if they have them. If they are absent, get vaccinated three months before the alleged pregnancy. After vaccination, immunity is formed, or a person suffers a mild illness.
Analysis preparation
Medical professionals are advised to adhere to the following rules:
- The day before the delivery of the biomaterial, exclude intense physical activity, the use of sweets, fatty, fried and other harmful foods, as well as the intake of alcohol-containing drinks.
- Donate fasting in the morning. However, there is a slight relief - it is allowed to drink some ordinary water.
- At least eight hours should pass from the last meal.
- Medicines distort the results of the study, so their reception is temporarily stopped (in agreement with the treating doctor).
Venous blood is taken for analysis. Antibodies begin to form on the fourth day of illness. At this time, they are discovered, they are represented by immunoglobulin M. Type G appears later, they are already present in the bloodstream constantly and it is easy to detect.
Diagnostic measures
The course of chickenpox in an adult is atypical. In situations where, on the basis of a visual examination, it is not possible to establish an accurate diagnosis, an analysis of chickenpox is performed, since in this case one cannot do without it. As a result of the study, it is determined whether there are enough antibodies to fight the antigen and how strongly the immune system resists the disease. Due to the results, the necessary drug therapy is selected.
Polymerase chain reaction or PCR
What is the name for chickenpox analysis, which shows the absence or presence of a virus in an individual’s body? Of course, this is PCR, which is a very reliable method. Its peculiarity is that even in the case of an insignificant concentration of the virus in the blood, it will be detected. Using a polymerase chain reaction, copies of the DNA virus are detected. Once in the body, the herpes virus of the third type rather quickly increases the number of its particles. Thanks to this study, it is possible to identify the pathogen and get an answer to the question of whether there is infection with chickenpox or not.
Immunofluorescence Reaction
RIF is the short name for chickenpox analysis. This is an accurate and quick diagnostic method, which, in addition to confirming the diagnosis, allows you to identify the distribution of the ratio of antibody cells to antigens. The biomaterial is pre-treated with a special composition that allows the antigens to glow. To establish the presence of which is possible in case of their high concentration.
Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, or ELISA
Most often, an analysis of chickenpox immunity is performed using this method. Thanks to research, they find out whether an individual was sick or not earlier. Antibodies - immunoglobulin G and M are detected. IgM antibodies appear in the individual after contact with the patient after a week. If a person has had chickenpox, then IgG is present in his whole life. This method has both pros and cons. The benefits are as follows:
- Allows even the smallest amount of antibodies to be recognized.
- The ability to make an accurate diagnosis in the early days of the disease.
- The minimum amount of gross errors, since the process is fully automated.
Disadvantages:
- The high cost of equipment.
- The need for a highly qualified specialist.
- Not all health facilities operating in the compulsory health insurance system have such equipment.
Now you know the name of the antibody test for chickenpox.
Additional analyzes
If it was not possible to accurately determine the presence of chickenpox and to detect the presence of the herpes virus of the third type, then additional types of studies are shown to clarify the diagnosis:
- Cultural technique - allows you to determine the presence of the virus with high accuracy. The pathogen is isolated and applied to the nutrient medium, and further, its behavior is monitored. Chickenpox virus is highly aggressive and captures healthy cells very actively. This is a fairly accurate method of detecting a pathogen. Its disadvantage is the duration of the analysis. The whole procedure lasts up to two weeks.
- What is the analysis for chickenpox called, or rather, early detection of the virus? This is dot-hybridization. The principle of the study is similar to PCR.
- Serological method - this method isolates immunoglobulin G. Most often it is used for herpes of the second type, but it is also used to determine antibodies to chickenpox.
- Immunogram - a blood test is prescribed to individuals with an atypical course of the disease. Thanks to this method, the body's response to the presence of the virus is detected. Often, during infection, a fairly stable immunity is developed. However, with serious pathologies, recurrence of chickenpox is provoked by a decrease in immunity.
- Virological - biomaterial is taken from the vesicles. Assign it in rare cases when the disease occurs atypically or complications are identified.
Deciphering the result of the analysis for chickenpox
If there are no immunoglobulins G and M in the blood, this means that the individual was not sick and does not have chickenpox at the moment, respectively, he does not have immunity to this infection.
If antibodies such as IgM are detected, but IgG is absent, this indicates the height of the disease, since immunoglobulin M is the first to form. Antibodies G arise later and are present in humans for the rest of their lives.
If two types of antibodies are detected, then the patient recovers.
If only antibodies G are found, then this means that the individual has a strong immunity, which was formed after the illness. Thanks to these antibodies, there is practically no chance of re-infection with chickenpox. The exception is only people with an overly weakened immune system, for example, if they are carriers of the human immunodeficiency virus. In such situations, there is a risk of getting sick again. Such patients must undergo a blood test for chickenpox, and you now know what this study is called.