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 position, i.e. pregnancy. However, the procedure has one significant drawback. You can find out the result only after some time. How many hCG tests are 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
An analysis of hCG is carried out not only in case of suspicion of pregnancy. The study is 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 when the fetus is attached 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 occurrence of any pathological processes.
An analysis to identify the level of human chorionic gonadotropin in the blood is carried out:
- due to the absence of menstruation for a long period;
- in case of suspicion of the presence of fetal residues after the curettage procedure;
- to detect intrauterine developmental disorders;
- in case of suspected malignancy in the testicles (in men).
In addition, the study is carried out during pregnancy to establish pathologies of the fetus and in the case of a frozen pregnancy. In addition, the analysis is taken from women at certain periods of gestation. 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 time-consuming. That is why it is very important to approach the preparation procedure. At least four hours before the proposed study should refrain from food. It is strictly forbidden to drink alcohol or smoke cigarettes at the preparatory stage. A favorable emotional attitude is very important. No need to get nervous and worry. Otherwise, obtaining reliable results is called into question.
Blood is taken only from a vein. Then the resulting biological material is divided into components. For analysis, plasma is used. To identify the intensity of hormone production and to 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 important. That is why many people begin to get nervous and worry about waiting for a 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, in which the workload is much less.
In non-governmental institutions, you can get the result after a day. Some medical organizations provide information to the patient’s e-mail a few hours after taking the biological material.
Deciphering the results
For an ordinary person, the norm of hCG in the blood should not exceed 5 mU / ml. In 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 gestation, the blood contains 25 to 4870 mU / ml hormone. From the fourth to the sixth week, the indicator increases to 31500 to 151100 mU / ml. From the seventh to the eleventh week, at least 20,900 IU / ml of the hormone should be contained in the blood. The maximum value in this case should not exceed 30,000 mU / ml. From the eleventh to the sixteenth week of pregnancy, the level of hCG is in the range from 6140 to 103000 mU / ml. From the seventeenth to thirty-ninth weeks of pregnancy, the norm is considered an indicator from 4720 to 80 100 mU / ml.
It should be borne in mind that the indicators in different laboratories may vary. It all depends on the unit. In any case, it is best to consult a specialist for decryption. It is not worth it to disassemble the result of the study yourself.
Reasons for deviations from the normal indicator
Deviations from the norm may indicate various pathologies. For a pregnant woman, a mismatch in the level of hCG in the blood to the established norm can be a signal about the presence of such problems as:
- disorder of the nervous system of the unborn child;
- risk of developing Down syndrome;
- syncytial endometritis.
Deviation from the permissible norm may also be in the case of multiple pregnancy. The presence of one of the above phenomena is indicated, as a rule, by an increased content of hCG.
Deviation from the norm in a smaller direction can say:
- the threat of spontaneous miscarriage;
- on the development of chromosomal pathologies in the future baby;
- about stopping the development of the fetus;
- damage to the placenta.
Anxiety should not occur in a patient if he has been taking or was taking, until recently, drugs that included this 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 verify the normal course of pregnancy.
That is why many are interested in how long an analysis is done on hCG. Unfortunately, there is no exact answer to this question. The timing of the study depends directly on the workload of laboratories. Women care how much HCG analysis is done for pregnancy over time? 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-type clinics, the result can be obtained within a few hours after the collection of biological material, i.e. blood.