Hospital Pregnancy Test? What Is It and How Accurate Is It? (2024)

Knowing whether you are pregnant comes either by Hospital pregnancy test or Home pregnancy test.

When you are trying to get pregnant, you want to give the best to your baby. You want to talk to your doctor as soon as possible and take necessary steps for your pregnancy.

A pregnancy test at the hospital seems more assuring. Unlike home pregnancy tests, pregnancy test in the hospital is more decisive.

Home pregnancy test has cases of evaporation lines and faint positive results. It is difficult for a woman who is new to it to feel sure of her pregnancy test results.

Some women may not know how to use a pregnancy test. All this confusion raises anxiety levels in a woman.

Hospital pregnancy test is a sure way knowing the correct pregnancy result.

Hospital Pregnancy Test? What Is It and How Accurate Is It? (1)

Can you get a pregnancy test at the hospital?

Everyone can get a pregnancy test at the hospital. It is not an elaborate procedure.

If you are new to pregnancy test at a hospital, then you might not even know the difference.

Most common hospital pregnancy test is a pregnancy blood test.

The doctor will withdraw a sample of blood from a vein and take a sample. A hospital pregnancy test only checks blood hCG levels.

The real advantage of a hospital pregnancy test is the determination of pregnancy date.

Hospital pregnancy test vs. home pregnancy test

At home pregnancy tests are qualitative pregnancy tests. They only detect whether your urine has hCG or not. Based on this finding the home pregnancy test gives a positive or negative result.

A home pregnancy test cannot identify whether the source of hCG is a fertility drug or placenta.

They also cannot determine the amount of hCG present in urine.

The hCG levels tell the gestational age which is the time passed from the day of conception.

Hospital pregnancy tests are quantitative pregnancy tests. They determine the amount of hCG present in a woman’s serum.

A hospital urine pregnancy test may also be a choice. They are precise compared to home urine pregnancy test.

The primarily hospital pregnancy test is a blood pregnancy test.

Serum hCG levels are higher than urine hCG levels which makes the hospital pregnancy test more accurate.

But they have their own set of disadvantages. A hospital pregnancy test is almost triple the cost of home pregnancy test at least. If you get a negative pregnancy test in a hospital, then a lot of money will go wasted.

How early can you take a hospital pregnancy test?

A pregnancy blood test can detect pregnancy 2-3 days after implantation.

A pregnancy test at the hospital can tell you whether you are pregnant or not four days earlier than a home pregnancy test.

You can take a pregnancy test in a hospital after you have had implantation bleeding.

But it is best to wait for a week after the due date of the period as this will increase the chances of getting positive hospital pregnancy test.

Serum hCG levels are detectable after a week and a half from ovulation. This time is 2-3 days after implantation.

How is a hospital pregnancy test performed?

A hospital pregnancy test is merely a blood sample collection.

  1. Your doctor will tie a tube or strap above your wrist making the superficial veins show.
  2. Then he will clean the area with a spirit swab.
  3. Carefully after inserting a needle, he will withdraw a small amount of blood from a suitable vein.
  4. Then he will ask you to press a cotton plug at the puncture point.

How long does a hospital pregnancy test take?

The blood sample will go for testing and reports may come within a day or two.

Then your doctor will determine the age of your pregnancy and tell you what to do once you’ve been tested positive.

Hospital pregnancy test positive

A hospital pregnancy test is positive if serum hCG levels are above 25 mIU/mL.

If a woman has less than 5 mIU/mL hCG, then she is not pregnant. In that case, the cause of pregnancy symptoms may be a tubal pregnancy.

Your doctor can diagnose that based on hospital pregnancy test results.

Hospital pregnancy test accuracy

The serum hCG levels are higher than urine hCG levels. Also, a pregnancy test in the hospital is done by a professional.

Unlike home pregnancy test there is no case of getting evaporation lines or faint positive. No matter how faint a pregnancy test line is, it means you are pregnant.

Hospital pregnancy tests are more accurate and can detect pregnancy earlier.

Are hospital urine tests more accurate than home pregnancy tests?

Yes, they are more accurate than home pregnancy test kitsas a home pregnancy test involves a lot of presumptions and a urine sample instead of blood sample.

Evaporation lines and a false negative pregnancy test is a common problem in that case.

A pregnancy blood test is a more sure way of detecting pregnancy.

Can a hospital pregnancy test be wrong?

Any pregnancy test other than ultrasound can be wrong.

There are chances that you get a false negative resultwhen you go for the hospital pregnancy test too early.

You can get a false positive result if human errors crop in there as well. At times if the medical history discussion is not complete, the other reasons for raised hCG go unnoticed.

Another reason for hospital pregnancy test is infertility therapies.

Home pregnancy test after IVF is very risky. Your body has residual hCG from fertility drugs and pregnancy tests detect hCG.

Taking a home pregnancy test after IVF will give you false results. Doctors advise you to avoid taking an HPT after In Vitro therapies.

Hospital pregnancy test is compulsory after an IVF treatment. Your doctor will be able to determine whether the hCG levels are because of pregnancy or fertility drugs.

They will also be able to differentiate between a false positive pregnancy test from actual positive one.

Hospital pregnancy test is an earlier pregnancy test. But there is no cheap way to detect pregnancy before enough hCG levels pick up.

Thus it is best to wait for at least a week before going for a hospital pregnancy test.

Hospital Pregnancy Test? What Is It and How Accurate Is It? (2024)
Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Dan Stracke

Last Updated:

Views: 6496

Rating: 4.2 / 5 (43 voted)

Reviews: 82% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Dan Stracke

Birthday: 1992-08-25

Address: 2253 Brown Springs, East Alla, OH 38634-0309

Phone: +398735162064

Job: Investor Government Associate

Hobby: Shopping, LARPing, Scrapbooking, Surfing, Slacklining, Dance, Glassblowing

Introduction: My name is Dan Stracke, I am a homely, gleaming, glamorous, inquisitive, homely, gorgeous, light person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.