Monospot Test

Monospot test is a simple proprietary test that detects the presence of heterophile antibodies which are typical of Epstein-Barr virus infection. The heterophile antibody is mostly IgM and usually rises during the second week of infection. EBV serology confirms the diagnosis however Monospot test is better used for screening. EB virus infects B cells and infectious mononucleosis caused by them presents with symptoms of fever, fatigue, pharyngitis, lymphadenopathy and splenomegaly. A negative heterophile antibody test should be repeated after the first week. If negative, then test for EBV- specific antibodies. Horse RBCs are usually used for agglutination reaction in monospot test.

No special preparation is required from the part of the patient. Take advice from your doctor before undergoing the test. Prior to the test he/she may advice you to stop taking certain medications depending on your condition. Inform the clinician about any bleeding disorders Drink enough water. Getting yourself hydrated nourishes the veins thus making it easy to collect blood. Wearing tight full sleeve clothes are not advisable because usually the phlebotomist collect the blood sample from your arm and tight sleeves may cause difficulty in getting the required superficial vein.

This heterophile antibody test is used for diagnosis of infectious mononucleosis caused mainly by Epstein-Barr virus. Here in the test, if blood sample does not form clumps, then the test is considered negative and if clumps are detected then the patient probably have mononucleosis.
It can detect the infection of recent onset i.e. 2 to 9 weeks .it is not usually used in case of infection that has been there for more than 6 months. It is a specific but less sensitive test. Negative results therefore are not entirely suggestive of absence of an infection.an EBV antibody test is done if you are having symptoms of infectious mononucleosis but with a negative monospot test result.

• The site is washed using antiseptic.
• The phlebotomist wraps an elastic band around the upper arm and pressure is applied to swell the vein with blood.
• Then needle is inserted to the target vein.
• The blood is then collected in a tube attached to the needle. The elastic band is then released.
• The needle is removed once enough blood has been collected. The site is sealed using adhesive bandage if there is any bleeding