Patient Preparation:Provide Clinical History
Your doctor may order this test for you
If you have been planning for a pregnancy and if your home-kit test has come positive for pregnancy
This test may also be used to rule out pregnancy if the doctor is planning to put you on treatment that may interfere with pregnancy
This test could also indicate a possible ectopic pregnancy or foetal abnormalities
This test is also used to monitor high-risk pregnancies
The HCG test is used to confirm pregnancy. This test is done in the first few weeks of pregnancy. Optimal levels of HCG suggest a healthy pregnancy.
The hormone HCG is produced by the placenta of a pregnant women. The HCG is present in urine in early pregnancy period which helps to confirm or rule out pregnancy.
During the early weeks of pregnancy, HCG plays an important role in maintaining the function of Corpus Luteum. The Corpus Luteum secretes the hormone progesterone and is important for a healthy pregnancy. HCG production goes up steadily in the first trimester in a normal pregnancy. The levels of HGC peak at around the 10th week of a pregnancy, calculated from the Last Menstrual Cycle. HCG levels then continue to fall down throughout the pregnancy and returns to negligible amounts after childbirth. Abnormal HCG levels are seen if there is a chromosomal defect like down syndrome. Your doctor will couple the HCG tests with other screening tests to check for foetal abnormalities.
A negative HCG result usually rules out pregnancy. In case of doubt, you could repeat the HCG test again after a week to confirm or rule out pregnancy. A positive HCG test most definitely confirms pregnancy.
Sample: Serum (2 mL)
Methodology: ECLIA/CLIA