Biomaterial Database

Serial beta-hCG measurements in the early detection of ectopic pregnancy. 1990

R W Shepherd, and P E Patton, and M J Novy, and K A Burry

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Oregon Health Sciences University, School of Medicine, Portland.

We investigated the sensitivity and specificity of serial serum hCG assays to diagnose early ectopic pregnancy in 50 asymptomatic women at risk. The initial two hCG values obtained at 2-5-day intervals were used to calculate doubling time and percentage increase. Twenty-five women had a viable intrauterine pregnancy, 14 an ectopic gestation, ten a spontaneous abortion, and one a molar pregnancy. A normal percentage increase and/or doubling time was observed in 64% of women who eventually proved to have an ectopic pregnancy. Ultimately, 85% of our patients demonstrated abnormal values when subsequent hCG pairs were analyzed. The sensitivity of these tests to diagnose asymptomatic ectopic pregnancy was 36%, with a specificity of 63-71%. We conclude that a normal rise in hCG production does not reliably differentiate an ectopic from an intrauterine pregnancy in the asymptomatic patient.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D010446	Peptide Fragments	Partial proteins formed by partial hydrolysis of complete proteins or generated through PROTEIN ENGINEERING techniques.	Peptide Fragment,Fragment, Peptide,Fragments, Peptide
D011237	Predictive Value of Tests	In screening and diagnostic tests, the probability that a person with a positive test is a true positive (i.e., has the disease), is referred to as the predictive value of a positive test; whereas, the predictive value of a negative test is the probability that the person with a negative test does not have the disease. Predictive value is related to the sensitivity and specificity of the test.	Negative Predictive Value,Positive Predictive Value,Predictive Value Of Test,Predictive Values Of Tests,Negative Predictive Values,Positive Predictive Values,Predictive Value, Negative,Predictive Value, Positive
D011247	Pregnancy	The status during which female mammals carry their developing young (EMBRYOS or FETUSES) in utero before birth, beginning from FERTILIZATION to BIRTH.	Gestation,Pregnancies
D011271	Pregnancy, Ectopic	A potentially life-threatening condition in which EMBRYO IMPLANTATION occurs outside the cavity of the UTERUS. Most ectopic pregnancies (>96%) occur in the FALLOPIAN TUBES, known as TUBAL PREGNANCY. They can be in other locations, such as UTERINE CERVIX; OVARY; and abdominal cavity (PREGNANCY, ABDOMINAL).	Ectopic Pregnancy,Pregnancy, Extrauterine,Ectopic Pregnancies,Extrauterine Pregnancies,Extrauterine Pregnancy,Pregnancies, Ectopic,Pregnancies, Extrauterine
D005260	Female		Females
D006063	Chorionic Gonadotropin	A gonadotropic glycoprotein hormone produced primarily by the PLACENTA. Similar to the pituitary LUTEINIZING HORMONE in structure and function, chorionic gonadotropin is involved in maintaining the CORPUS LUTEUM during pregnancy. CG consists of two noncovalently linked subunits, alpha and beta. Within a species, the alpha subunit is virtually identical to the alpha subunits of the three pituitary glycoprotein hormones (TSH, LH, and FSH), but the beta subunit is unique and confers its biological specificity (CHORIONIC GONADOTROPIN, BETA SUBUNIT, HUMAN).	Chorionic Gonadotropin, Human,HCG (Human Chorionic Gonadotropin),Biogonadil,Choriogonadotropin,Choriogonin,Chorulon,Gonabion,Human Chorionic Gonadotropin,Pregnyl,Gonadotropin, Chorionic,Gonadotropin, Human Chorionic
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D012307	Risk Factors	An aspect of personal behavior or lifestyle, environmental exposure, inborn or inherited characteristic, which, based on epidemiological evidence, is known to be associated with a health-related condition considered important to prevent.	Health Correlates,Risk Factor Scores,Risk Scores,Social Risk Factors,Population at Risk,Populations at Risk,Correlates, Health,Factor, Risk,Factor, Social Risk,Factors, Social Risk,Risk Factor,Risk Factor Score,Risk Factor, Social,Risk Factors, Social,Risk Score,Score, Risk,Score, Risk Factor,Social Risk Factor
D012680	Sensitivity and Specificity	Binary classification measures to assess test results. Sensitivity or recall rate is the proportion of true positives. Specificity is the probability of correctly determining the absence of a condition. (From Last, Dictionary of Epidemiology, 2d ed)	Specificity,Sensitivity,Specificity and Sensitivity
D013997	Time Factors	Elements of limited time intervals, contributing to particular results or situations.	Time Series,Factor, Time,Time Factor