| Ordering Code | 450 |
|---|---|
| Test Name | HCG, Qualitative |
| Alias | Serum HCG, Qualitative |
| Preferred Specimen | Serum |
| Preferred Container | SST (Gold) |
| Other Specimen/Container | Serum in Plain (Red), Plasma in Lithium Heparin (Green-PST), Plasma in Lithium Heparin (Dark Green-PP No Gel) |
| Optimum Volume | 1 mL |
| Handling Instructions | All specimen types must be centrifuged within 2 hours of collection. If no gel separation present in tube and testing is delayed, plasma/serum is aliquoted from cells within 2 hours of collection Keep tubes stoppered at all times. |
| Transport Requirements | Oahu: Refrigerated Airline: Refrigerated |
| Specimen Stability | Ambient: 8 Hours Refrigerated: 2 Days Frozen: 6 Months (Aliquot) Frozen samples should be thawed only once DO NOT use frost-free freezers. |
| Rejection Criteria | Insufficient quantity, Specimen older than stability limits, Wrong specimen type, Grossly hemolyzed |
| Avail. Stat | YES |
| Analytic Time | 1 Day |
| Methodology | Chemiluminescent Immunoassay - Two-step Sandwich |
Reference range(s)
The reference ranges listed below are valid on this date of August 15, 2025.
| Component | Age | Male Norm | Male Critical Low | Male Critical High | Female Norm | Female Critical High | Female Critical Low | Units | Add'l info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HCG, Qualitative | ALL | <5 NEGATIVE | mIU/mL | ... Note1 |
Note1:
NEGATIVE: < 5 mIU/mL
POSITIVE: > OR = 5 mIU/mL^
hCG immunoassays may be affected by heterophile
antibodies, causing false positive results.
Correlation of the hCG result with the patient's
clinical condition is recommended.
.