Patient's question:
I have discussed with my husband about preparing to have a child. My menstrual cycle has always been very regular, but this month it arrived 11 days late, and I've also been experiencing breast tenderness. In the morning, I took a test, but it showed I wasn't pregnant. I'm feeling very anxious and would like to know what help I can get: Can an ectopic pregnancy test detect it?Doctor's answer:
A pregnancy test strip cannot determine whether it is an intrauterine pregnancy or an ectopic pregnancy. Blood HCG can determine whether it is an intrauterine pregnancy or an ectopic pregnancy. Ultrasound can also determine whether it is an intrauterine pregnancy or an ectopic pregnancy. Blood HCG values differ at different gestational weeks. Early diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy mainly involves testing blood HCG (human chorionic gonadotropin). Since HCG is a specific hormone secreted during pregnancy, β-HCG can be used to assist in the early diagnosis of an undetected ectopic pregnancy. Normally developing trophoblasts secrete a large amount of HCG, with daily titers rapidly increasing and rising by more than 66% every 48 hours. That is, if β-HCG increases by more than 66% every two days, it can be diagnosed as an intrauterine pregnancy; whereas if the increase is less than 66%, the possibility of an ectopic pregnancy or poor intrauterine development is high. After a woman becomes pregnant, β-HCG in the blood can be detected starting from the 9th to 11th day, after which the amount of β-HCG can increase twofold every two days (even if there are signs of threatened miscarriage, the increase rate of HCG will not change). For example, if it is 234 today and it is around 450 two days later, it can be considered a normal intrauterine early pregnancy.