Abstract
Background: Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) assays are used to detect pregnancy, and urine point-of-care tests are frequently used to triage patients. Under certain conditions, urine tests can fail to detect pregnancy, which can have serious consequences for patient management. Objectives: To understand the prevalence of different factors contributing to false-negative urinary hCG testing results at our institution. Methods: Clinical data for patients with negative urine hCG results and subsequent positive or equivocal serum hCG results within a 1-year period were reviewed. Results: Out of 9447 negative urine hCG results, 11 potential missed diagnoses were identified, with early gestational age as the most common factor, followed by β-core hook effects. Conclusions: Although false-negative urine hCG test results are rare, understanding the commonly encountered reasons for inaccurate testing results can help clinical centers develop strategies to minimize risk for patients.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 86-93 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | Laboratory Medicine |
Volume | 51 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 2021 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Early gestational age
- Human chorionic gonadotropin
- Point of care
- Pregnancy
- Serum hCG
- Urine hCG
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Clinical Biochemistry
- Biochemistry, medical