How long does an analysis for hCG take: deadlines, interpretation of the results

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

A blood test to detect the level of human chorionic gonadotropin in the blood is the most reliable way to confirm the absence or presence of an interesting situation, i.e. pregnancy. However, the procedure has one significant drawback. You can find out the result only after some time. How much is an analysis for hCG done, blood is taken from a finger or from a vein, and is it possible to speed up the process? These questions concern many women around the world.

Indications for research

Analysis for hCG is carried out not only in case of suspicion of pregnancy. Research is being carried out in a number of other situations.

It should be understood that human chorionic gonadotropin, or hCG, is produced by embryonic tissues. The production of the hormone is activated at the moment of attachment of the fetus to the uterine cavity. The detection of hCG in the blood of a non-pregnant woman or man may signal the presence of tumors in the body or the course of someor pathological processes.

An analysis to determine the level of human chorionic gonadotropin in human blood is carried out:

• due to the absence of menstruation for a long period;
• in case of suspicion of the presence of fetal remains after the curettage procedure;
• to detect intrauterine development disorders;
• in case of suspected testicular cancer (men).

In addition, the study is carried out during pregnancy to establish pathologies of fetal development and in case of missed pregnancy. In addition, the analysis is taken from women at certain periods of pregnancy. The study is an integral part of screening, which allows you to verify the normal development of the fetus and exclude the presence of pathologies.

Mechanism of action

The process of determining the level of human chorionic gonadotropin in the blood is quite complex and laborious. That is why it is very important to approach the preparation procedure. At least four hours before the proposed study, you should refrain from eating. It is strictly forbidden to drink alcoholic beverages or smoke cigarettes at the preparatory stage. A favorable emotional state is very important. No need to be nervous and worried. Otherwise, obtaining reliable results is called into question.

Blood is taken only from a vein. After that, the resulting biological material is divided into components. Plasma is used for analysis. To determine the intensity of hormone production and find out the level of hCG in the blood at the stage of the study, special reagents are used.

How long does an hCG test take?

Research is essential. That is why many people begin to get nervous and worry in anticipation of the result. There is no exact answer to the question of how long the analysis for hCG is done. Since everything depends directly on the workload of the laboratory. As a rule, in state medical institutions, the result of the study can be obtained only 2-3 days after the analysis. That is why many women (and men) turn to private laboratories, which are much less busy.

In non-state institutions, you can get the result after a day. Some medical organizations provide information to the patient's email a few hours after taking biological material.

Transcript of results

For an ordinary person, the rate of hCG in the blood should not exceed 5 mU / ml. For a woman who is expecting a baby, the indicators are much higher and depend directly on the gestational age. From the first to the third week of bearing a child, the blood contains 25 to 4870 mU / ml of the hormone. From the fourth to the sixth week, the indicator increases to 31500 to 151100 mU / ml. From the seventh to the eleventh week, the blood should contain at least 20900 mU / ml of the hormone. The maximum rate in this case should not exceed 30,000 mU / ml. From the eleventh to the sixteenth week of pregnancy, the hCG level is in the range from 6140 to 103000 mU / ml. From the seventeenth to the thirty-ninth week of pregnancy, the rate from 4720 to 80100 mU / ml is considered the norm.

It is worth considering that the indicators in different laboratories may vary. It all depends on the unit of measure. In any case, it is best to contact a specialist for decryption. You should not analyze the result of the study yourself.

Causes of deviations from the normal rate

Deviations from the norm may indicate various pathologies. For a pregnant woman, a discrepancy in the level of hCG in the blood to the established norm may be a signal of the presence of problems such as:

• disorder of the nervous system of the unborn child;
• risk of developing Down syndrome;
• syncytial endometritis.

Deviation from the permissible norm may be in the case of multiple pregnancy. The presence of one of the above phenomena is usually indicated by an increased content of hCG.

Deviation from the norm in a smaller direction can say:

• about the threat of spontaneous miscarriage;
• about the development of chromosomal pathologies in the unborn baby;
• about stopping the development of the fetus;
• about the presence of damage to the placenta.

Anxiety should not arise in a patient if he is taking or has recently taken drugs, inthe composition of which included the specified hormone. In this case, before starting the analysis, it is necessary to warn the attending physician about taking such drugs. Otherwise, obtaining reliable research results is impossible.

Instead of a conclusion

The level of human chorionic gonadotropin in the blood is an important indicator. It can not only indicate the presence or absence of pregnancy, but also signal the occurrence of any neoplasms in the body. In addition, the level of hCG in the blood allows you to make sure that the pregnancy is normal.

That is why many are interested in how long the analysis for hCG is done. Unfortunately, there is no exact answer to this question. The timing of the study depends directly on the workload of the laboratories. Women are concerned about how much time an hCG test is done for pregnancy? The answer is similar. The presence of an "interesting position" does not affect the speed of the study. In public institutions, the waiting period can be from two to three days. In private clinics, the result can be obtained within a few hours after the collection of biological material, i.e. blood.