[Improved diagnosis of pregnancy-associated gynaecological emergencies via rapid beta-HCG test (author's transl)].

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.