HB Electrophoresis Test Price in Pakistan: PKR 2,100 at Marham Lab

Haemoglobin is the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen from your lungs to the rest of your body, and it comes in several types. An Hb electrophoresis test passes an electric current through a blood sample, which separates those types so each can be measured on its own. MedlinePlus explains that this is how abnormal haemoglobins are found. At Marham Lab the test costs PKR 2,100.

Hb Electrophoresis and Thalassemia Test: The Same Test

MedlinePlus lists Hb electrophoresis, haemoglobin evaluation, haemoglobinopathy evaluation, haemoglobin fractionation, Hb ELP, Hb IEF and sickle cell screen as names for this test. In Pakistan it is most often requested as a thalassemia test, because that is the condition it is most commonly used to look for here.

Why This Test Matters in Pakistan

MedlinePlus states that thalassemia is most common among people of Italian, Greek, Middle Eastern, Southern Asian and African descent. Pakistan sits squarely in that group, which is why carrier screening comes up here far more often than search volume alone would suggest.

The condition itself is described plainly by MedlinePlus: in thalassemia your body makes normal haemoglobin, but it does not make enough of it. Symptoms range from mild to severe.

What the Test Measures

Levels of each are measured and compared against normal. MedlinePlus notes that abnormal haemoglobin can change the size and shape of red blood cells, which can make them clump, block blood flow and be broken down sooner than usual, causing anaemia.

Reading Your Result

Your report shows which haemoglobin types were found and how much of each. MedlinePlus lists what the patterns can indicate.

Results may also indicate whether a disorder is mild, moderate or severe. MedlinePlus notes the test is read alongside other results, commonly a complete blood count and a blood smear.

Carrier Status Is the Point Most People Miss

Sickle cell trait is the clearest example of something worth understanding. MedlinePlus explains that someone with the trait carries one affected gene and one normal gene, that most such people have no health issues at all, and that they can still pass the gene to their children.

So a result showing carrier status is not a diagnosis of illness. It is information about what you might pass on, which is why this test appears in premarital and pre pregnancy discussions rather than only when someone feels unwell.

MedlinePlus adds that anyone at risk of having a child with an inherited haemoglobin disorder may want to speak to a genetic counsellor, who can explain the condition and the actual risk of passing it on.

Who Should Get Tested and When

MedlinePlus lists symptoms that prompt testing.

For anaemia: shortness of breath, weakness or fatigue, headache, dizziness, and an irregular or unusual heartbeat.

For sickle cell disease: painful swelling of the hands and feet, fatigue or fussiness in infants, growth problems in children, jaundice, and severe pain.

Testing is also considered during pregnancy, or before it, if you are at risk of having a child with an inherited haemoglobin disorder. MedlinePlus names two risk factors: family history, including already having a child with such a disorder, and ethnic background.

How to Prepare

No special preparation is needed. You do not need to fast.

There is one thing your doctor must know. MedlinePlus states that you should tell your provider if you have had a blood transfusion in the last 12 weeks, because transfused blood can affect the result. If you have, the test may need to be delayed, since the haemoglobin measured could partly belong to the donor rather than to you.

What Happens During the Test

A trained phlebotomist takes a small blood sample from a vein in your arm using a fine needle. It takes under five minutes. A brief sting and slight bruising afterwards are normal. In Lahore the sample can be collected at your home.

For a newborn, MedlinePlus describes a different method: the heel is cleaned and pricked with a small needle, and a few drops of blood are collected.

اردو میں

ہیموگلوبن الیکٹروفوریسس ٹیسٹ خون میں موجود ہیموگلوبن کی مختلف اقسام کو الگ کر کے ان کی مقدار معلوم کرتا ہے۔ پاکستان میں یہ ٹیسٹ زیادہ تر تھیلیسیمیا کی جانچ کے لیے کروایا جاتا ہے۔

عالمی طبی معلومات کے مطابق تھیلیسیمیا جنوبی ایشیا، مشرق وسطیٰ اور بحیرہ روم کے علاقوں کے لوگوں میں سب سے زیادہ پایا جاتا ہے۔ پاکستان بھی اسی خطے میں آتا ہے، اسی لیے یہاں یہ ٹیسٹ خاص اہمیت رکھتا ہے۔

ایک بات سمجھنا بہت ضروری ہے۔ اگر رپورٹ میں معلوم ہو کہ آپ کیریئر ہیں، یعنی جین آپ میں موجود ہے، تو اس کا مطلب یہ نہیں کہ آپ بیمار ہیں۔ زیادہ تر کیریئر افراد بالکل صحت مند رہتے ہیں۔ لیکن یہ جین اولاد میں منتقل ہو سکتا ہے۔ اسی لیے شادی سے پہلے یا بچے کی منصوبہ بندی کے وقت یہ ٹیسٹ تجویز کیا جاتا ہے۔

ٹیسٹ سے پہلے بھوکا رہنے کی ضرورت نہیں۔ البتہ اگر آپ نے پچھلے تین ماہ میں خون لگوایا ہے تو ڈاکٹر کو ضرور بتائیں، کیونکہ اس سے رپورٹ درست نہیں آتی۔ مرہم لیب میں اس ٹیسٹ کی قیمت اکیس سو روپے ہے اور لاہور میں گھر سے نمونہ لینے کی سہولت موجود ہے۔

Final Thoughts

This is a test about inheritance as much as illness. It identifies thalassemia and sickle cell disorders, but just as importantly it identifies carriers who are perfectly healthy and would never otherwise know. In a country where thalassemia is common, that information is worth having before it becomes urgent. If your result shows carrier status, the useful next step is a conversation about what it means for your family rather than treatment for yourself.