Clinical decision-making regarding women of
childbearing age with abdominal pain and vaginal bleeding is
often dictated by pregnancy testing, specifically point-of-care
qualitative urine hCG assays. These screening tools, along
with over-the-counter home pregnancy tests, are
chromatographic sandwich immunoassays in which two
antibodies directed to different portions (for example, the α
and β subunits) of the hCG molecule sandwich a single
antigen to produce color change. Our ED uses the Clinitest®
hCG Pregnancy Test from Siemens Healthcare Diagnostic Inc.
for point-of-care testing.