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. 2012 Sep 27;345:e6077. doi: 10.1136/bmj.e6077

Summary estimates for each pregnancy outcome at different thresholds in women with pain and/or bleeding with inconclusive ultrasound diagnosis and for women with pain and/or bleeding alone

Studies (No of participants) Cut-off (ng/mL) Sensitivity (95% CI) Specificity (95% CI) Positive likelihood ratio (95% CI) Negative likelihood ratio (95% CI) Pre-test and post-test probabilities (ranges)*
Before test (%) After test if positive (%) After test if negative (%)
Women with pain and/or bleeding with inconclusive ultrasound diagnosis
Progesterone test to predict ectopic v non-ectopic pregnancy:
 5 studies (1998 women) <3.2-6 36.5 (12 to 70.6) 41.7 (16 to 72.9) 0.63 (0.29 to 1.35) 1.52 (0.99 to 2.36) 14.2 (7.7-28.6) 9.44 (5-20.2) 20.1 (11.3-37.8)
Progesterone test to predict non-viable v viable pregnancy:
 5 studies (1998 women) <3.2-6 74.6 (50.6 to 89.4) 98.4 (90.9 to 99.7) 45.4 (7.13 to 288.9) 0.26 (0.12 to 0.57) 73.2 (71.1-85.9) 99.2 (99.1-99.6) 44.8 (39-61.3)
Women with pain and/or bleeding alone
Progesterone test to predict non-viable v viable pregnancy:
 9 studies (4689 women) <10 66.5 (53.6 to 77.4) 96.3 (91.1 to 98.5) 18 (7.19 to 44.8) 0.35 (0.24 to 0.50) 62.9 (47.4-71.8) 96.8 (94.2-97.9) 37.2 (24-47.1)
 9 studies (5128 women) <15 83.3 (66.6 to 92.6) 87.5 (78.5 to 93.1) 6.66 (3.81 to 11.7) 0.19 (0.09 to 0.40) 70 (12.6-79.7) 93.9 (49-96.3) 30.7 (2.7-42.7)
 8 studies (4348 women) <20 85.7 (72.3 to 93.2) 66.6 (47.0 to 81.8) 2.56 (1.46 to 4.50) 0.22 (0.10 to 0.47) 61.2 (30.8-71.8) 80.2 (53.3-86.7) 25.8 (8.9-35.9)

*Pre-test probabilities are median prevalence values with corresponding ranges.