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General health

QHT request on blood form.. what is this?

33 replies

toothfairy73 · 02/01/2020 04:36

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?

OP posts:

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Shedidnt · 02/01/2020 12:27

OP, do you have two separate sheets, with the HQT on a separate one to the blood test form? Or is it on the blood test form?
My GP gave me a load of cards for blood tests (I thought). Happily brought them to the clinic and one of the cards was actually for a urine sample. Could it be a separate card that's actually for a stool sample?

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SirTobyBelch · 03/01/2020 09:35

What's esr?

Erythrocyte sedimentation rate. It's a blood marker of inflammation.

When you have an inflammatory reaction somewhere in your body (e.g. in response to an infection), cells release certain substances that act on the liver to stimulate production of what are called acute phase proteins, including fibrinogen, C-reactive protein (CRP) and serum amyloid A. When your blood concentration of fibrinogen rises it binds to your red blood cells (erythrocytes) and causes them to form stacks ("rouleaux"). These stacks settle more quickly under gravity than dispersed red cells do.

To measure ESR you simply take an anticoagulated blood sample and leave it to stand. The ESR is how many millimetres the red cells drop in an hour. In someone with an inflammatory condition - and therefore more serum fibrinogen - the rate will be more rapid.