Serology is the analysis of sera.
Serology is the analysis of sera . Serum , for its part, is the portion of lymph or blood that, after coagulation , continues to retain its liquid state. Typically, the idea of serology is linked to blood serum .
Through serology, blood can be studied to determine what antibodies are present. The so-called serological examination , in this way, allows us to know how the body reacts to an infection or to the presence of pathogens in the blood flow.
Serology tests
To perform these types of tests, serology can analyze serum or even all of the blood. In the case that serum is used, what is done is to subject the blood that was previously clotted to a centrifugation process that allows the elimination of the cells from the reaction.
It is important to note that, when there is an infection , pathogens can stimulate the body to generate antibodies. Serology, when studying blood, allows the detection of these antibodies.
What diseases can be detected
The studies developed by serology, therefore, make it possible to predict diseases or detect possible infections. Some of the diseases that can be evidenced through serology are the following:
- Measles : a disorder that appears mainly during childhood. It is caused by a virus belonging to the Morbillivirus genus and is distinguished by filling the skin with reddish spots, in addition to causing general weakness and fever. Although it is a very common disease, there are cases in which it becomes complicated and puts the patient's life at risk, especially when it causes inflammation in the brain and lungs.
- Rubella : It is also known as rubella , as it was called in the past, and it is a viral infectious disease with symptoms similar to those of measles, since it also causes spots on the skin, as well as joint pain and glandular inflammation. Only when a woman infects her child during pregnancy is there a risk of death.
- Brucellosis : It is caused by Brucella bacteria and affects various species of mammalian animals, including humans, horses, sheep and dogs. Its most important symptoms are pain, excessive sweating, fever and fatigue.
To perform a blood serum test, serology requires a blood draw.
Serology and blood collection
The blood that is tested is usually obtained from a vein inside the elbow. The person in charge of the extraction squeezes the area with an elastic band so that the blood accumulates in the vein , which is punctured with a needle . The blood is then stored in a sterile container for serology analysis.
It is important to note that some people may experience pain during the blood draw necessary for a serology test, even if it is moderate discomfort. On the other hand, the most common thing is to simply feel the sting, almost as if it were a wasp bite, although without the subsequent itching. After the extraction , there are those who feel pulsations for a few hours.
Although it is a procedure that thousands of specialized people perform every day around the world, there are certain risks associated with blood collection . They are partly due to the difference in size that exists between the veins and arteries of each individual, in addition to those that are evident within the same patient depending on the side of the body that is examined.
All of this makes the process difficult and can lead to problems of varying severity; Among the most common we find the following: excessive bleeding; feeling of dizziness, which can lead to loss of consciousness; bruises, collections of blood under the skin; infections, since the needle breaks a part of the skin , although small.