One of our A&E consultants has enquired about possible reasons for two false negatives on this kit.
Both were done in the early hours of the morning, one on a patient 1/52 after missed period and the other in a patient who was around 8 weeks pregnant. The kit insert states that urine taken at any time is OK, but obviously an early morning specimen is preferred and a very dilute urine might be a problem particularly in very early pregnancy. It claims to detect hCG concentrations of 20 mIU/ml or more.
In the absence of any further information (interfering substances crossed my mind) I suggested training/competency - possibly someone who was not familiar with the procedure doing it during the night under pressure.
Any other suggestions?
Thanks
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