Study summary · research use only
False-Negative Urine Human Chorionic Gonadotropin Testing in the Clinical Laboratory
Plain-language summary
Paraphrased from the published abstract below — not a verdict on whether anything works.
In this study of human clinical laboratory data collected over a one-year period, the authors assessed false-negative urine human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) pregnancy testing. Among 9447 negative urine hCG results, the authors identified 11 potential missed diagnoses, most commonly attributed to early gestational age, followed by β-core hook effects. The authors describe false-negative urine hCG results as rare but note that understanding common contributing factors could help clinical centers develop strategies to reduce risk to patients.
Abstract
Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) assays are used to detect pregnancy, and urine point-of-care tests are frequently used to triage patients. Under certain conditions, urine tests can fail to detect pregnancy, which can have serious consequences for patient management. To understand the prevalence of different factors contributing to false-negative urinary hCG testing results at our institution. Clinical data for patients with negative urine hCG results and subsequent positive or equivocal serum hCG results within a 1-year period were reviewed. Out of 9447 negative urine hCG results, 11 potential missed diagnoses were identified, with early gestational age as the most common factor, followed by β-core hook effects. Although false-negative urine hCG test results are rare, understanding the commonly encountered reasons for inaccurate testing results can help clinical centers develop strategies to minimize risk for patients.
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