Fetal Fibronectin

FFN

38226

Sterile Dacron® cotton swab in a transport tube containing 1 mL extraction buffer

Collect using Adeza Biomedical Corp kit. Contact Quest Diagnostics for the proper collection kit.

Special collection kit - See Collection Instructions

Refrigerated (cold packs)

Room temperature: 8 hours
Refrigerated: 72 hours
Frozen: 90 days

Room temperature samples received >8 hours after collection • Specimens received in expired transport

Mon-Sat

24 hours

The Fetal Fibronectin test result should not be interpreted as absolute evidence for the presence or absence of a process that will result in delivery in ≤7 days from specimen collection for symptomatic women or ≤34 weeks, 6 days of gestation for asymptomatic women. A positive Fetal Fibronectin Enzyme Immunoassay or Rapid fFN result may be observed for patients who have experienced cervical disruption caused by, but not limited to, events such as sexual intercourse, digital cervical examination, or vaginal probe ultrasound. The test sensitivity is 86.4%, specificity is 82.3%, positive predictive value is 12.7%, and negative predictive value is 99.5% in symptomatic women.

Negative

Fetal fibronectin is a protein that performs two roles during pregnancy. It is produced by the placenta and acts as the glue that attaches the placenta to the uterine wall. In late pregnancy, it acts as a lubricant, aiding in the passage of the newborn through the vaginal canal. Amniotic fluid contains fetal fibronectin and when the membranes leak, can be detected in a cervicovaginal collection. This can be used as a predictor of pre-term delivery, defined as less than 37 weeks gestation.