Same-day pregnancy test provides valuable guidance to pre-surger...(der during surgery or the anesthesia cou...),Health

Date:6/16/2008

der during surgery or the anesthesia could contribute to a spontaneous miscarriage or to an increased chance of birth defects. Doctors at Hospital for Special Surgery always explain the risks to patients who are pregnant, but if the patient herself doesn't know she is pregnant she may not spend much time weighing the risks.

The direct cost associated with each urine pregnancy test is $5.03. Therefore, it cost HSS $3,273 in lab and labor costs to detect each unrecognized pregnancy, though this does not include the indirect costs associated with a cancelled surgery. However, if a woman who didn't know she was pregnant went on to either lose the pregnancy or have a child with a birth defect, the unknown role that anesthesia and surgery may have played in this can be devastating to patient and physician. The benefit of eliminating this possibility, Dr. Kahn said, is more than enough to justify the cost of testing and inconvenience of a postponed surgery.

"Based on the outcome of this study, the same-day pregnancy testing is still in effect at HSS," said Dr. Kahn. "If I were to move to another hospital that did not perform same-day pregnancy testing, I would work to institute a similar policy. What it comes down to is providing the best care for our patients, and I believe this protocol allows us to do that."

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Contact: Phyllis Fisher fisherp@hss.edu 212-606-1197 Hospital for Special Surgery Source:Eurekalert

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