Hemoglobin Electrophoresis
Reviewed
This test uses an electric current to separate and measure the different types of hemoglobin in your blood. It helps identify normal and abnormal hemoglobins to diagnose conditions such as anemia, sickle cell disease, and other hemoglobin disorders.
Preparation and collection
No special preparation is needed.
Understanding this test
Use the reference interval and units printed by the laboratory that performed the test. A result outside that interval is not a diagnosis by itself, and a result inside it does not rule out every condition. Your symptoms, history, medicines, timing, and related tests can change what the result means.
- A blood transfusion within the last 12 weeks can affect your results.
- Your provider must consider your symptoms, medical history, and other blood tests to interpret results.
- This test does not provide a complete diagnosis on its own.
What to do next
If you have questions about your results, talk to your healthcare provider. If you are at risk of having a child with an inherited hemoglobin disorder, you may want to speak to a genetic counselor.
Evidence source
U.S. National Library of Medicine: Hemoglobin Electrophoresis