Patient education: Mononucleosis test (The Basics)

What is a mononucleosis test? — 

This is a blood test to check for mononucleosis.

Mononucleosis, or "mono," is a viral infection. It is most often caused by a virus called Epstein-Barr virus, or "EBV." It can spread through contact with saliva, for example, by kissing or sharing utensils.

There are a few blood tests for mono. They check for different "antibodies," which are proteins the body makes when a person has the infection. Some of these antibodies can stay in the blood even if a person had mono in the past.

Why might I get a mononucleosis test? — 

Your doctor might order this test if you have symptoms of mono, such as:

●Fever

●Sore throat

●Feeling tired

●Swollen neck glands

How do I prepare for a mononucleosis test? — 

Most of the time, these tests are done by taking a sample of blood and sending it to a lab. Sometimes, doctors do a "rapid" test. For this, they can do a fingerstick, rather than taking blood from a vein.

If you need to get a "blood draw," your doctor or nurse will tell you where to go for this. It might help to wear a short-sleeve shirt to your blood draw appointment. This makes it easier for the person drawing your blood to get to your arm.

What happens during a blood draw? — 

A needle is used to take a small amount of blood from your arm (figure 1). Collecting the blood only takes a few minutes. The blood is then tested in a lab.

Tell the person who takes your blood:

●If you take "blood thinner" medicines or have a bleeding problem – They will make sure your bleeding is under control before you leave.

●If you have a latex allergy – Some of the supplies used for blood draws might contain latex.

●If you have a preferred arm to use

Most of the time, getting blood taken does not cause problems. You might have a little soreness or bruising where the needle went in.

What do my results mean? — 

Your doctor or nurse will tell you when to expect your results, and will contact you with the results. Or if you use an online "patient portal," you might get an alert there when your results are ready.

●If your test is positive, this can mean you have mono or had it in the past. Your doctor will tell you what the results mean based on how long you have had symptoms. There is no specific treatment for mono, but you will need to rest and take care of yourself while you recover.

●If your test is negative, this means it did not find mono antibodies. But sometimes, the test can be negative even though you do have mono, especially if you were recently infected and had a rapid mono test. If your doctor thinks this is a possibility, they will do more tests.

More on this topic

Patient education: Mononucleosis (The Basics)
Patient education: Fever in children (The Basics)
Patient education: Sore throat in adults (The Basics)
Patient education: Sore throat in children (The Basics)
Patient education: Swollen lymph nodes in adults (The Basics)
Patient education: Swollen neck nodes in children (The Basics)

Patient education: Infectious mononucleosis (mono) in adults and adolescents (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Fever in children (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Sore throat in adults (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Sore throat in children (Beyond the Basics)