An Algorithm for Testing and Reporting Serum Choriogonadotropin at Clinically Significant Decision Levels with Use of “Pregnancy Test ” Reagents

We presentan algorithmfor monitoringthe concentration of human chonogonadotropin (hCG) in serum at various clinical decision levels with use of fast, simple, and cost-effective qualitative pregnancy test reagents for hCG in serum. Based on correlation between laboratorydata and clinicalobserva-tionsdescribedin the literature,the followingconcentrations of hCG in serum can be considered as clinically significant decision levels: 5 mt. units/L to exclude or “rule out ” the presence of increased hCG; 25 mt. units/L for “confirming pregnancy”or confirmingthe presence of increased hCG from sources other than the trophoblast; and 6500 and 82 500 mt.units/L to enhance the sonographic diagnoses of ectopic pregnancies and molar pregnancies, respectively. We usedTandem IconII (Hybritech)pregnancytest reagents and evaluated the reagents for possible “false-positive