One-year experience with day-of-surgery pregnancy testing before elective orthopedic procedures.
BACKGROUND
Elective surgery is generally postponed in pregnancy. A policy of testing for urine human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) in all women of childbearing age on the day of surgery was initiated at an elective orthopedic surgery facility. This is a retrospective report of our 1 yr experience and the associated costs.


METHODS
Records were reviewed from January 3, 2005, through January 2, 2006, to determine the number of urine hCG tests performed, and the disposition of all patients with a positive result. Costs were calculated using the charges for testing supplies and laboratory labor.


RESULTS
During the first year of policy implementation, 2588 of 2595 women of childbearing age underwent urine hCG testing. Five patients had a positive result, and surgery was cancelled. Of these five, three were previously unrecognized pregnancies, one an unrecognized asymptomatic ectopic pregnancy, and one a false-positive result in a perimenopausal woman. Three other women had a "weak positive" urine result, followed by a negative serum hCG. Surgery proceeded in all three. The calculated cost was $5.03 per urine test, and $3273 for each true positive result.


CONCLUSIONS
A policy of routinely performing urine hCG pregnancy tests in women of childbearing age on the day of surgery was effective in detecting unrecognized pregnancy. This resulted in a postponement of elective surgery in all cases. Of 2588 women tested, one had surgery postponed because of a false-positive result. The cost of $3273 per true positive test must be compared with the benefit.
Kahn
Richard L
RL
Department of Anesthesiology, Hospital for Special Surgery, 535 East 70th St., New York, NY 10021, USA. kahnr@hss.edu
Stanton
Maureen A
MA
Tong-Ngork
Sarani
S
Liguori
Gregory A
GA
Edmonds
Chris R
CR
Levine
David S
DS
D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin / Q000652:urine; D017558:Elective Surgical Procedures; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008593:Menopause; D019637:Orthopedic Procedures; D011247:Pregnancy; D011258:Pregnancy Tests / Q000379:methods*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D016312:Treatment Refusal / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin