Quantitative HcG?

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Specializes in Anesthesia.

Can anyone explain to me the specifics of a quantitative HcG test as opposed to a STAT HcG test? I had a positive home test on Friday, so I went to the Dr. and she sent me for a quantitative HcG today. I called to get my results this afternoon and the nurse asked me if it was a STAT test. I told her no, that the Dr. ordered a quantitative test and then she told me that with a quantitative HcG they wouldn't have my results for 3-5 days. Then she said that what they are looking for is an increase or decrease in the HcG level over time. Why would they need to do this when all my Dr. wanted to do was confirm the pregnancy? I'm really confused and frustrated right now...

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Specializes in Day program consultant DD/MR.

I do not work on OB. But I did have to have this test done with my 1st pregncancy and the DR. said that it was to make sure my HcG levels were rising. I had my period each month thorugh 1st trimester.

Is there a posibility they ordered the wrong test?

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Specializes in Anesthesia.

To be honest with you, yes, I believe the PA ordered the wrong test. They called me today and said that in order for this test to be valid that I was going to have to go back and get my blood redrawn to show that my levels are going up. But they said if I didn't want to do that, then I could just come back in next week and take a urine test. I'm really frustrated because I've taken 3 home tests and all of them have been positive. But they won't confirm the pregnancy from the quantitative test because I haven't had a second level drawn (even though the number from the first test was 221). Why is it that they will confirm the pregnancy from a urine test (which will detect a minimum HcG of 25-50 in order to be positive), but they won't confirm this test? I just don't get it.....

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Specializes in Day program consultant DD/MR.

I would say because of the type of test that was ordered. It is meant to be a comparison test so they do not want to confirm with out the second draw. Can't the Dr. order a stat HcG test. Why d othey want you to wait another week for a urnine test?

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Specializes in Anesthesia.

My name is Tracie too by the way :)

Well I'm not sure why she didn't order a stat test the first time. Apparently she made a mistake....so now instead of having this pregnancy confirmed, I have to either have my blood drawn again (without an order, so I doubt the lab will even do it), or wait another week to take a urine test. And I have absolutely no idea why she wants me to wait a week. I asked if I could come in at the end of this week and she said she would probably wait in order to let my Hcg numbers increase. Doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me considering I've had 3 positive home tests. Grrrrrr.....is pregnancy this frustrating the whole time???

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Specializes in Day program consultant DD/MR.

Nice to meet you Tracie.:D

I know it is frustrating. Hang in there it will get better, pregnancy can be frustrating and stressfull but not the whole time. In the end it is worth it. IMO Dr. offices do not want to do a urine test to soon as to avoid a false positive. But that doesn't make sense because you got the result of 221 from the 1st blood draw your level is up, I know the lab would not confirm because in thier eyes the test is not complete without the 2nd draw.

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Specializes in Cardiac.

First off, Congrats!!!:redpinkhe

221 is indeed a positive pregnancy test! But to be sure, they want to make sure the number is rising, and not dropping, and make sure it's rising at the proper increments (doubling every 48-72 hours).

http://www.obfocus.com/questions/qanda7.htm

Congrats again!!

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Specializes in Anesthesia.

Thanks for the website cardiac! So I understand what the use of the quantitative HcG is, but from what I understand, this is not something that is normally ordered unless the practitioner suspects a problem. Now I realize that she apparently ordered the wrong test.....she should have ordered a stat Hcg....but even so, why can't they just take the 221 and say "hey, we know you're pregnant" and confirm it?

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Specializes in Cardiac.

Good question! Maybe it's just that specific practice that makes a point of getting 2 tests.

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Specializes in Adult and Pediatric Vascular Access, Paramedic.

HCG (Qualitative) only tells you whether you are pregnant or not

HCG QUantatative shows the amount of HCG in your blood, this tells the physician how far along you may be and if it is probably a healthy preganncy.

Sweetooth

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I'm a little confused by your management, so I'll just tell you about hCG testing so you can ask the right questions to your provider.

Serial hCG -

When there is complication such as an ectopic, or suspected non viable pregnancy, a serial hCG is often done to make sure that it's increasing at the proper rate - so you take two levels two days apart. In practice, though most practitioners just send you for an ultrasound when they suspect something wrong. Obviously this is not the case with you - you are just trying to find out IF you're pregnancy.

"STAT" test -

A home test is pretty reliable, and the urine test you take (I suspect that's what they call the STAT test) is exactly the same thing. It's just to detect the presence of abnormal amount of hCG (>5 to a very wide range) which determines that you are pregnant.

Quantitative -

"an increase over time", therefore, cannot be done with just one level, or as they call it, the quantitative test. I reality that's not very helpful because every women has such wide range and nobody really uses that to determine date. Your dating will be determined at this point by your LMP, or Last monthly period. In cases where someone cannot accurately recall her LMP or has very irregular periods a dating ultrasound is performed, but this has to be done in the first trimester - upto 13 weeks to be most accurate, because up to that time, embryonic/fetal growth is the same for everyone.

You should find out exactly what's going on, because you should be able to get a simple answer, and not be given the run around. Nobody needs to wait to tell you if you are pregnant. Pregnancy also comes with symptoms you can detect yourself. Breast enlargement, nausea and/or vomitting.

After three home tests it is time for you to call up for a prenatal appointment, if you are keeping this pregnancy. I would think about going back to a place that cannot give you a straight answer on something quite simple.

Good luck.

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Specializes in Anesthesia.

Hi epiphany.....thanks so much for your response. So here is what actually happened. Because the urine test I took at the Dr. was negative and I had already had a positive home test, the PA decided to send me to have a blood test done. Well, apparently this office had recently changed their policy on blood Hcg tests and this PA "didn't know" about it. The policy stated that they couldn't do STAT hcg tests anymore and were required to do quantitative tests (more than one blood draw), but the PA didn't tell me that I needed to have my blood drawn more than once. So when I called to get my results they couldn't "legally" tell me I was pregnant (my first level was 221) b/c the results were "incomplete" b/c I didn't have a second draw. I was furious and the PA said that she was very sorry....so I finally just went back in and retook their urine test, which of course was positive. So to make a long story short, I am now going to a different place which has midwives and a birthing center and hopefully it will be a much more pleasant, hassle-free experience.

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