RESUMO
This Teachable Moment describes a 33-year-old woman with decreasing transaminase levels on repeated testing and ultrasonography showing fatty infiltration.
Assuntos
Testes de Diagnóstico Rápido , Transaminases , Humanos , Comportamentos Relacionados com a Saúde , MotivaçãoRESUMO
BACKGROUND: 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. OBJECTIVES: To understand the prevalence of different factors contributing to false-negative urinary hCG testing results at our institution. METHODS: Clinical data for patients with negative urine hCG results and subsequent positive or equivocal serum hCG results within a 1-year period were reviewed. RESULTS: Out of 9447 negative urine hCG results, 11 potential missed diagnoses were identified, with early gestational age as the most common factor, followed by ß-core hook effects. CONCLUSIONS: 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.
