A serum pregnancy test uses a blood sample to detect the hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) to determine pregnancy viability and duration. It is more accurate and sensitive than urine tests and can be done in a hospital or clinic. Repeat tests can be done after a miscarriage to check hormone levels.
A serum pregnancy test is a medical test performed to see if a patient is pregnant or to test whether pregnancy is feasible using a sample of the patient’s blood. These tests are more sensitive and accurate than urine tests, although they are also slightly more invasive. They can also be used to detect pregnancy slightly earlier than a urine test, an important consideration for some impatient expectant parents. This test may be administered in a hospital or clinic, and it may also be possible for a traveling doctor or nurse to assist a patient at home to take a blood sample.
For this test, a single vial of blood is drawn using a sterile procedure. In a clinic or hospital with its own laboratory, serum pregnancy results can be returned very quickly. If not, the sample may need to be sent in, and it may take a day or more for the results of a serum pregnancy test to arrive.
In a serum pregnancy test, a blood sample is taken and tested for the presence of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), a hormone specifically associated with pregnancy. Qualitative tests simply look to see if the hormone is present, while a quantitative test will measure the amount of the hormone in the blood. Both tests are highly sensitive when done with blood, allowing doctors to detect very low levels of the hormone.
This hormone will begin circulating in the blood and urine within 10 to 10 days after conception. HCG levels rise very reliably and steadily throughout a pregnancy and checking hormone levels with a serum pregnancy test can provide information about the duration of the pregnancy as well as be used to determine the viability of pregnancy. If a woman has two tests several days apart and the hormone concentration does not rise as expected, it may indicate that there is a problem with the pregnancy. Further tests may be recommended to learn more about what is happening inside the patient’s body.
The serum pregnancy test is also used after a miscarriage in follow-up appointments to check the patient’s progress, although the doctor may not call it a pregnancy test for sensitivity reasons. The repeat test is done to confirm that the miscarriage is complete and that the woman’s body is returning to normal hormone production after the termination of the pregnancy. If the test results are abnormal, further tests may need to be done to find out why.
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