Ranta T, Rutanen E M, Stenman U H, Weitzel H, Seppälä M
Geburtshilfe Frauenheilkd. 1981 Feb;41(2):91-2. doi: 10.1055/s-2008-1036969.
A pregnancy-related disorder was identified by a rapid radioimmunoassay or serum chorionic gonadotropin in 151 out of 600 women (25%) with lower abdominal pain or bleeding, while a routine pregnancy test in urine was positive in only 7% of these cases. In 60 patients with ectopic pregnancy the rapid hCG-RIA was positive in 90% as compared with 10% for the routine pregnancy test. In patients with evidence of intrauterine pregnancy (80 cases) the rapid hCG-RIA was positive in 99% and routine pregnancy test in 39%. The clinical sensitivity of the hCG-RIA was 95%, specificity 96% and predictive value 88%. These figures should introduce a considerable improvement in the routine diagnosis of early intra- and extrauterine pregnancy-related disorders.
