A study of investigations used to predict outcome of pregnancy after threatened abortion.

Sixty-nine patients who presented with threatened abortion had a number of investigations aimed at providing information with which to predict pregnancy outcome. Ultrasound examination, and measurement of plasma oestradiol and progesterone levels were all significantly more accurate in predicting the pregnancy outcome than clinical examination. Measurements of plasma levels of beta 1-glycoprotein, alpha fetoprotein (AFP), beta subunit human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG), cystyl aminopeptidase, and human placental lactogen (hPL) also appeared better than clinical examination but the differences did not reach statistical significance while measurement of hCG levels in early morning urine were less accurate than clinical examination.