Pregnancy/Prenatal Flashcards
Alpha subunits are ____ for LH, FSH, TSH, and hCG
Beta subunits are ___
the same, unique
Traces of hCG have been demonstrated in the blood of normal, healthy men and nonpregnant females
= sources of this hCG appear to be the testes and the pituitary
With the most sensitive methods, values indicating pregnancy are usually reached after the first week post-conception =
well before the first missed menstrual period
The measurement of b-hCG in serum is also useful in the diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy
Acute abdomen
-If positive, surgical intervention
-In ectopic pregnancy, b-hCG decreases in serum over time
Detection limit for Home Urine Tests
Day of the first missed period
-If neg, retest in 5-7 days if no menses still
Specimens collected from pregnant women ____ from conception may contain concentrations of hCG below the limit of detection of the test
Less than twelve days
-In these instances the test should be repeated two to three days later since hCG approximately doubles every two days during early pregnancy
For optimal results it is best to test the ____, because it contains the greatest concentration of hCG
the first urine voided in the morning
In normal pregnancy, hCG concentrations can reach this level ____
as early as 7 to 10 days post conception
Limitations (at home tests)
-Later be negative due to natural termination of pregnancy
-Retest negative results two days later
-Non/Trophoblastic disease may have elevated hCG levels
Serum Quant Pregnancy Test
-Detection limit enables the laboratory to detect pregnancy about 2 days before the urine qualitative method gives a positive result
-Should also be used in the detection of ectopic pregnancy and tumors
Due to fetal hepatic immaturity all bilirubin is generally of the ___ type and is bound to albumin. When the bilirubin concentration is so high that the binding capacity is exceeded, the free unconjugated bilirubin can penetrate the brain and produce _____.
-unconjugated
-kernicterus
= Erythroblastosis Fetalis
Screening to prevent HDFN is done by __
-Rh(D) typing determines if mom is RhD negative
-Screening searches for Rh(D) antibodies
-Diagnose presence of RhD ab with Coombs test
Genetic Abnormalities
-cells from amniotic fluid to karyotype Down syndrome (Trisomy 21) and sex for X-linked disorders
Hemolytic disease of the fetus/newborn
-Rh(D) neg mom has Rh(D) pos fetus
-Mom can form ab to Rh(D)
-Ab cross placenta and cause lysis of fetal rbc
