Reproductive Endocrinology
Comparison of serum progesterone as an indicator of pregnancy nonviability in spontaneously pregnant emergency room and infertility clinic patient populations

Presented at the 43rd Annual CSCC-CAMB Conference, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, May 8–12, 1999.
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Abstract

Objective: To compare the predictive value of serum progesterone in identifying nonviable pregnancy in symptomatic spontaneously pregnant emergency department patients and asymptomatic patients attending an infertility clinic.

Design: Retrospective study.

Setting: Tertiary-care academic health center.

Patient(s): One hundred thirty-seven pregnant patients who presented to the emergency department for whom clinical outcomes were available, and 123 consecutive patients who became pregnant during treatment at the infertility clinic.

Intervention(s): Serum progesterone measurement.

Main Outcome Measure(s): The sensitivity, specificity, and predictive value of serum progesterone <45 nmol/L in identifying nonviable pregnancies were determined for each of the groups.

Result(s): Sensitivity and specificity of serum progesterone <45 nmol/L in predicting nonviable pregnancies were 88.6% and 87.5%, respectively, in spontaneously pregnant patients who presented to the emergency department with pain or bleeding and 58.8% and 100% in infertility patients who had undergone controlled ovarian hyperstimulation for in vitro fertilization or intrauterine insemination. Sensitivity and specificity for all other infertility clinic patients were variable.

Conclusion(s): The predictive value of low serum progesterone in identifying nonviable pregnancies varies with patient populations.

Keywords

Progesterone
ectopic pregnancy
nonviable pregnancy
infertility patients
diagnosis

Cited by (0)

Department of Laboratory Medicine, Ottawa Hospital and Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Ottawa.

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Jordan University.

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Dr. Al-Ramahi is an Organon Research Fellow.

Division of Reproductive Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ottawa Hospital—Civic Campus.