Laboratory medicine
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Laboratory medicine · Jan 2020
False-Negative Urine Human Chorionic Gonadotropin Testing in the Clinical Laboratory.
Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) assays are used to detect pregnancy, and urine point-of-care tests are frequently used to triage patients. Under certain conditions, urine tests can fail to detect pregnancy, which can have serious consequences for patient management. ⋯ Although false-negative urine hCG test results are rare, understanding the commonly encountered reasons for inaccurate testing results can help clinical centers develop strategies to minimize risk for patients.