Beta HCG, Quantitative, Blood
Test Mnemonic
HCGQT
CPT Codes
- 84702 - QTY (1)
LOINC ®
21198-7
Aliases
- Beta hCG for detection of pregnancy
- Human Choriogonadotropin
- MHCG
Performing Laboratory
Cleveland Clinic Laboratories
Specimen Requirements
| Volume | Type | Container | Collect Temperature | Transport Temperature | Special Instructions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 mL | Plasma | Lithium heparin PST (Lt. Green) | Refrigerated |
Alternate Specimen Requirements
| Volume | Type | Container | Collect Temperature | Transport Temperature | Special Instructions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 mL | Serum | SST (Gold) | |||
| 1 mL | Serum | No additive (Red) |
Minimum Specimen Requirements
| Volume | Type | Container | Collect Temperature | Transport Temperature | Special Instructions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.3 mL |
Stability
| Environmental Condition | Description |
|---|---|
| Ambient | 5 days |
| Refrigerated | 14 days |
| Frozen | 12 months |
Days Performed
Sun - Sat
Turnaround Time
8 hours
Methodology
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Electro Chemiluminescence Immunoassay (ECLIA) |
Reference Range
| HCG, Quantitative, Blood | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sex | Age From | Age To | Type | Range | Range Unit |
| Normal | < 5.0 | mU/mL |
Special Info
Patients taking a biotin dose of up to 5 mg/day should refrain from taking biotin for 4 hours prior to sample collection. Patients taking a biotin dose of 5 to 10 mg/day should refrain from taking biotin for 8 hours prior to sample collection. Patients taking a biotin dose > 10 mg/day should consult with their physician or the laboratory prior to having a sample taken. Clinicians should consider biotin interference as a source of error, when clinically suspicious of the laboratory result. Add-ons will only be accepted from the emergency department providing an unopened/unprocessed tube is available for testing.
Clinical Info
Early detection of pregnancy. HCG values 5 to 16 mU/mL may represent benign, pituitary derived HCG in non-pregnant women over 40 years of age. QUANTITATIVE HCG NORMAL RANGES [Weeks of Gestation (Weeks Since LMP)]: 3 Weeks (5.8-71.2 mU/mL); 4 Weeks (9.5-750 mU/mL); 5 Weeks (217-7138 mU/mL); 6 Weeks (158-31795 mU/mL); 7 Weeks (3697-163563 mU/mL); 8 Weeks (32065-149571 mU/mL); 9 Weeks (63803-151410 mU/mL); 10 Weeks (46509-186977 mU/mL); 12 Weeks (27832-210612 mU/mL). Referenced to 4th IS of NIBSC.