HCG, Total, Qual

HCG

Pregnancy Test qual, Beta HCQ qual, Beta hCG Qualitative, hCG Qualitative, BHCG qual, Serum Preg Qual

1.0 mL serum (0.5 mL minimum)

SST or no additive (red-top). PST is acceptable

Room temperature: 24 hours, Refrigerated: 48 hours, Frozen: 12 months

False negative results may occur when the levels of hCG are below the sensitivity level of the test (25 mIU/mL). When pregnancy is still suspected, a first morning specimen should be collected 48 hours later and tested. Very low levels of hCG (<50 mIU/mL) are present in serum and urine shortly after implantation. However, because a significant number of first trimester pregnancies terminate for natural reasons, a test result that is weakly positive should be confirmed by retesting with a first morning specimen collected 48 hours later. A number of conditions other than pregnancy, including trophoblastic disease and certain non-trophoblastic neoplasms including testicular tumors, prostate cancer, breast cancer and lung cancer cause elevated levels of hCG. Therefore, the presence of hCG should not be used to diagnose pregnancy unless these conditions have been ruled out.

Negative

In normal pregnancy, hCG can be detected in both urine and serum as early as 7 to 10 days after conception. hCG levels continue to rise very rapidly, frequently exceeding 100 mIU/mL by the first missed menstrual period and peaking in the 100,000 – 200,000 mIU/ml range about 10-12 weeks into pregnancy. The appearance of hCG in urine soon after conception, and its subsequent rapid rise in concentration during early gestational growth, make it an excellent marker for early detection of pregnancy.