skip to main content

Hepatitis C screening — USMLE Step 3 MCQ

Instant feedback + full explanation. One question, done properly.

HardPreventive Medicine, Epidemiology, BiostatisticsHepatitis C screeningUSMLE Step 3

A 34-year-old man has never had hepatitis B testing. He has no symptoms, injection-drug exposure, or known infected contacts. Which initial screening test is best?

Educational content. Not a substitute for clinical judgement or local policy.

Reveal the answer and explanation

Correct answer: D — Order hepatitis B surface antigen, surface antibody, and total core antibody

CDC recommends one-time adult hepatitis B screening with the triple panel: HBsAg, anti-HBs, and total anti-HBc. Single assays and liver enzymes cannot classify current infection, resolved infection, susceptibility, or immunity reliably.

Reference: CDC, Hepatitis B Screening and Testing: https://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis-b/hcp/diagnosis-testing/index.html