QHT request on blood form.. what is this?

[toothfairy73]

I've been undergoing a series of blood tests. My white blood count has been raised for years, along with inflammation markers. Now all of a sudden they seem concerned, my lymphocytes are raised, my esr and my crp. They have told me my blood test shows I have a bacterial infection (but I feel fine) and they want repeat bloods, really quite insist and have even booked me in. When I picked up the form the receptionist told me it was really important I had it done. Now I'm anxious about it. The blood form is requesting FBC but also something called HQT. I have tried to find out what this is (google) but cannot find this anywhere.

Does anyone know what this is?

[InkogKneeToe]

Is it hand written or typed? Could it be HCT?

[sashh]

Do you have iron deficiency?

Dr google tells me "HemoQuant is the most appropriate fecal occult blood test to use in the evaluation of iron deficiency".

Hopefully someone with more knowledge will come along soon.

[Shedidnt]

Google suggests it's to detect upper gastrointestinal bleeding

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11794453

[toothfairy73]

@InkogKneeToe it's typed.

[toothfairy73]

@sashh @Shedidnt I don't have symptoms for either of these.

I'm just so confused and stressed out by it

[Shedidnt]

It's just a test. You've no symptoms but your bloods are showing an infection somewhere in your body. Your GP simply needs to identify the source.

I was in hospital recently with something similar. I was in a lot of pain and was vomiting and had diarrhoea for weeks. When they did bloods, they indicated an infection. The docs told me 'we know you have an infection, we just don't know where it is'. So they did various scans and finally a CT scan showed that I had cholecystitis (an infection in the gallbladder). Personally I didn't really know why they needed to find the source of the infection, but I believe they (the medical team I was under) were liaising with the surgical team throughout - so they perhaps needed to find out where the infection was in case surgery was required.

Why are you having blood tests btw if there's nothing wrong with you per se?

[toothfairy73]

I've just started an NHS weight loss program and they requested everyone on the program have a blood test. It was picked up from there (raised white blood count, lymphocytes, esr, etc)

[Shedidnt]

What's esr?

[toothfairy73]

I've been having hot flushes for a while (I go from boiling to freezing) but I put it down to being perimenopausal (I'm 46). Ive also the last few weeks had really itchy skin (no rash) which again I put down to hormones

[Shedidnt]

Well, it sounds like your GP is on the ball. If you do develop any symptoms like pain or black stools, go to A&E immediately.

I know their concern with my infection when they found the source was treating it asap so that it wouldn't infect other nearby organs (can't remember but I think it was the liver they were particularly concerned about, or the pancreas maybe). Then you're in life threatening territory.

[JolieOBrien]

My CRP is 9 and I have high ferritin because I have an autoimmune disease and I have inflammation in my body.

[Shedidnt]

9 doesn't sound too bad to me (not remotely medical).

When I was in hospital they told me they'd discharge me when the CRP went down to 11. I remained on antibiotics for 7 days post discharge however.

I asked 2 days pre discharge what my CRP was, as they said it was elevated. It was 49. The next day it had dropped to 21, and then it must have dropped to 11 as they discharged me finally.

[Shedidnt]

Are you Irish? Do you have that thing haemo-something-or another?

[JolieOBrien]

@Shedidnt

It should be below 5 and my ferritin is 300 when it should be below 150. I have been like this for years because I have an enlarged thyroid.

[Shedidnt]

Going from boiling to freezing could be like a fever. Have you ever taken your temp while having these episodes? It could be linked to the infection I'm thinking.

[JolieOBrien]

@Shedidnt

I am half Irish and I don't have that because it would need to be in the 1000s. I have thyroid disease.

[Shedidnt]

Well, it sounds like just wait for the results and see what GP says. Given that you do have an infection though, as I've said, if you do develop symptoms, get to a hospital. When will you get the blood results?

[OhTheRoses]

Phone your GP surgery when it opens and ask for a GP call back to explain what the tests are for because you are anxioys about it.

[toothfairy73]

@Shedidnt my test is booked in for 13th. They wanted to wait and repeat 4 weeks after the last one. I just want it done so I know what's going on. The wait is killing me

[Shedidnt]

Well as you've no symptoms, they can't very well send you to A&E. They'll be looking to see if bloods have improved, though I'd have liked a blood test a week after the ones that indicated an infection. You could always book yourself in for a blood test today and ring them in a couple of days.

[Shedidnt]

Honestly, it indicates a mild infection somewhere which might resolve itself. I suppose they're leaving it a month as there's nothing urgent to worry about given that you've no pain or fever etc.

[Dontdisturbmenow]

If they wanted to wait 4 weeks, then they are not massively worried, so that's good news. Your GP will have clear guidance as to when to refer under the 2 weeks wait or as an urgent referral. This is not the case. From my experience, this is when levels are higher than they should be, but not so high that it is significantly concerning and they want to see if they go down on their own.

I was once contacted because I had a high marker for thyroid antibodies that could indicate Grave's disease. I did have symptoms too, but the GP said to wait 3 months and repeat. I did and the levels had gone down, although still borderline. Redone 3 months later and they were fine. It was just one of those things that can happen when starting the perimenopause (which I realised was the case for me only retrospectively).

As you are clearly worried (I would be too), could you ask for a telephone consultation with your GP and ask him specific questions, ie. why did he request HQT, why did he decide to retest in 4 weeks rather than referring you for further investigation in hospital. Would he agree to redo the tests after 2 weeks rather than 4. Hope all comes back normal soon enough.

[Greybeardy]

HQT for GI bleeding is not a blood test. Rather than having strangers on the internet worry you even more you’d be better off speaking to the doctor who ordered the test.

[Shedidnt]

It's a blood test that has been ordered though it seems.

[SpuriouserAndSpuriouser]

Yes I only know HQT as a test done on a stool sample. You can’t test for occult blood in someone’s blood, that doesn’t make any sense. It could be an abbreviation for something else that I’m not familiar with, but I think it’s worth querying that one!