Factors Affecting Rise of Human Chorionic Gonadotropin in Early Pregnancy

Determining the viability of early pregnancies can be challenging, especially in women presenting with abdominal pain with or without vaginal bleeding. Investigators conducted a retrospective cohort study of 285 women presenting in early pregnancy with pain, with or without bleeding, at three academic institutions in racially heterogeneous U.S. locations; all eligible participants had at least two measurements of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and subsequent viable intrauterine pregnancies.

The overall 2-day minimum rise in hCG was faster when the presenting hCG value was lower and slower when the presenting value was higher. Regression modelling suggested that, for an ongoing intrauterine pregnancy at 2 days, the expected minimal (i.e.,…