How can hcg be tested to determine whether it is an ectopic pregnancy?

Compared with normal pregnancy, ectopic pregnancy not only cannot lead to normal childbirth, but also may endanger the life of the pregnant woman if it is not treated promptly and effectively. It is a relatively serious condition and can usually be confirmed through blood hcg tests. It is also very necessary to understand the specific judgment method. So, how can hcg be checked to determine whether it is an ectopic pregnancy? Let’s take a closer look below.

HCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) is the "pregnancy test" hormone that is familiar and most commonly used by obstetricians and gynecologists. It is composed of glycoproteins of α and β dimers. But the α-subunit is common to all anterior pituitary hormones. The β-subunit is specific to HCG. The complete HCG is produced entirely by the syncytiotrophoblast of the placental chorion. Its main function is to stimulate the corpus luteum, which is beneficial to the continuous secretion of estrogen and progesterone, so as to promote the formation of uterine decidua and make the placenta grow and mature. It is now believed that HCG is produced by trophoblast transitional cells and syncytial cells. It increases rapidly during the first 8 weeks of pregnancy to maintain the pregnancy. After about 8 weeks of pregnancy, HCG gradually decreases until it reaches a relative stability around 20 weeks.

Ultrasound in the early stages of pregnancy cannot determine whether you are pregnant, but now blood HCG can be used to confirm it. Blood HCG is not only highly sensitive, but also can be used for accurate judgment because it is "quantitative" data.

Normal reference value of HCG

The normal value of blood HCG is <10μg/L, and the normal value of β-HCG is <3.1μg/L.

The absolute values ​​of serum HCG vary greatly at different stages of pregnancy and between pregnant women, that is, they are different from person to person and are not comparable, and can only be compared within themselves. Generally, non-pregnant women’s blood HCG is <100IU/L. During the first 3 months of pregnancy, HCG levels approximately double every 2.2±0.5 days.

Urine-HCG (HCG semi-quantitative method): non-pregnant women <25IU/L, 40 days of pregnancy >5000IU/L, 60-70 days of pregnancy >(8-32)×104IU/L (urine HCG level is highest in the early morning, close to serum level).

HCG test for the diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy

The early diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy is mainly based on the detection of blood HCG (human chorionic gonadotropin). Because HCG is a specific hormone secreted during pregnancy, β-HCG can be used to assist in the diagnosis of early unruptured ectopic pregnancy. Normally developed villi secrete a large amount of HCG, and the daily titer continues to rise rapidly, increasing by more than 66% every 48 hours. That is, if the increase in β-HCG is greater than 66% every two days, it can be diagnosed as an intrauterine pregnancy; if the increase is less than 66%, there is a high possibility of ectopic pregnancy or intrauterine pregnancy hypoplasia. After a woman becomes pregnant, an increase in β-HCG can be detected in her blood from the 9th to 11th day, and the amount of β-HCG can double every two days thereafter (even if there is threatened miscarriage, the rate of increase in HCG will not change). For example, if today's value is 234, if the test result the day after tomorrow is around 450, it can be considered as normal intrauterine pregnancy.

The above is an introduction on how to check hcg to determine whether it is an ectopic pregnancy. I hope it will be helpful for women. Ectopic pregnancy is an unexpected situation. Many women may experience this situation, which requires necessary physical examinations after pregnancy. Once an ectopic pregnancy is confirmed, timely treatment is very important to avoid adverse effects on the adult's health.