HCG levels.........?????
ok, here goes....i am a nurse BUT i am just making sure i am correct in my assumptions......my sister in law "says" that she was pregnant, the dr did a urine test that came up -, they sent her over for blood work within an hour of the urine test and she said that they told her that her level was 491......that would surely show up on a test wouldnt it??? She took 3 tests the day before all were -, exept for one which she read the next morning (evaporation line) now she said based on her blood work she is having a misscarriage????? I told her that she needs to follow up with the dr if that is the truth and make sure all is ok, she said that they told her not to worry about it???? Kinda confusing to me, what do you think?
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Sounds like she is telling you a story to me. That number would definitely come up on a pregnancy test. Also blood work does not come back in an hour. Why would she be making up stories?! Is she stable?
The most common blood test used to detect a pregnancy in the very early
weeks, or to determine if a pregnancy is likely to continue or miscarry is a
'quantitative serum human chorionic gonadotrophin' (QHCG). This is also known
as a 'beta HCG' (or 'B-HCG'). The earliest time a blood HCG test will detect a
pregnancy is about 8 days after conception (or about 1 week before the next
period is due). However, this is only possible for about 5% of women. Most
women will show a positive blood HCG level by about 11 to 12 days after
conception (or a couple of days before the next period would have been due).
Women who have HCG injections for fertility treatments can have HCG in their
system for 2 to 3 weeks after the injection. This means they may obtain an early
'positive' pregnancy test, yet not be pregnant.
The HCG hormone starts to be released into the woman's blood stream soon after
the baby implants into the lining of her uterus (about 8 to 12 days after
conception). The HCG blood level will initially start off very low (at least 5 IU/L),
but then rapidly increase (doubling every 2 to 3 days), so that within a few days
to a week or so, the HCG level becomes high enough to be detected in the
woman's urine (at least 50 to 80 IU/L). Once this level is achieved, a urine
pregnancy test will show as being 'positive'.
The HCG hormone peaks to its highest levels between 8 and 11 weeks of the
pregnancy. Then the level slowly decreases, lowering at 12 weeks and again at
about 16 weeks of the pregnancy. The HCG level remains lower until several
weeks after the birth of the baby. As the HCG levels lower, the maturing placenta
takes over the role of producing other hormones to support the pregnancy (at
around 12 weeks). HCG levels that are higher than expected may indicate a
multiple pregnancy or the woman being more advanced in her pregnancy than
calculated, or a molar pregnancy.
A blood HCG level of 5 IU/L may only 'indicate' that a pregnancy is possible. But
Weeks of pregnancy after
last period
Days after
conception
HCG level for single baby
(mIU/ml or IU/L)
Week 3 7 0 to 5
Week 4 14 (next period
due)
5 to 426
Week 5 21 18 to 7340
Week 6 28 1,080 to 56,500
Weeks 7 to 8 35 to 42 7,650 to 229,000
Weeks 9 to 12 49 to 70 25,700 to 288,000
Weeks 13 to 16 77 to 100 13,300 to 254,000
Weeks 17 to 24 4,060 to 165,400
Weeks 25 to birth of baby 3,640 to 117,000
4 to 6 weeks after birth Less than 5
it may also indicate that a pregnancy has recently existed (particularly if the
woman is bleeding and in the process of miscarrying). If the blood test is
repeated in 2 to 3 days and the beta HCG has approximately doubled, then this
confirms that the pregnancy is continuing. A beta HCG of at least 25 IU/L is
definitely regarded as being a 'positive' pregnancy blood test. If the pregnancy is
less than 12 weeks and the levels start to lower, this is fairly indicative that the
pregnancy will, or is in the process of miscarrying.
Normal HCG blood levels vary widely between different women and in different
pregnancies for the same woman. Be very careful when trying to 'interpret the
numbers'. During the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, the level itself is NOT as
important in how much it is rising every few days. Some normal pregnancies will
have quite low HCG levels and still progress, ending in the birth of a healthy
baby. The best way to confirm if a pregnancy is progressing is to repeat the blood
test in 2 to 3 days time, and perhaps again 2 to 3 days after that. This is aimed
at seeing if the HCG level is rising adequately.
NOTE:Be aware that even when a pregnancy is miscarrying the levels can slightly
increase for a while, but not at the rate expected if the pregnancy was
progressing normally. For example a serum HCG leve
That number is definitely high enough to show up on a pee test, but they don't work for some people. She sounds a little crazy. She needs to go back to the doc and test again to see if the levels are going up. Why wouldn't she go back to the doc? And why would she assume that she's miscarrying? Talk some sense into her! Good luck!
Her levels are high she could have had a m/c and did not know it but if the levels are that high she would still get a positive test. I think she needs to see her doc.
blood work takes 2 days to come back. and it would probably show up on a urine they detect 25 and up. maybe she is having a miscarriage if her levels are dropping. but it sounds fishy.