{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,22]],"date-time":"2026-10-22T08:40:35Z","timestamp":1792658435439,"version":"4.5.0"},"reference-count":11,"publisher":"SAGE Publications","issue":"5","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,21]],"date-time":"2026-03-21T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1774051200000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/page\/policies\/text-and-data-mining-license"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["journals.sagepub.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Ann Clin Biochem"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,9]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Case one<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>A young woman presented to the Early Pregnancy Assessment Unit (EPAU) with abdominal pain, amenorrhoea and variably positive home-pregnancy tests. On review, a point-of-care test (POCT) for urine beta-HCG (\u03b2-HCG) was negative but a blood test using the Abbott i-STAT \u03b2-HCG POCT device was positive. Initial transvaginal ultrasound did not demonstrate an intra- or extra-uterine pregnancy. Over the following 2\u00a0months, weekly plasma POCT iSTAT \u03b2-HCG checks remained positive. After a further ultrasound suggesting a possible ectopic pregnancy, the patient underwent a diagnostic laparoscopy which was unremarkable. Post-operatively, POCT iSTAT \u03b2-HCG levels remained elevated, and a blood sample was sent for laboratory analysis revealing an undetectable \u03b2-HCG of &lt;1.20\u00a0IU\/L (reference interval 0\u20134).<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Case two<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      A middle-aged woman presented to the emergency department with mons pubis pain and swelling and was admitted to the gynaecology ward for drainage of bilateral abscesses. On review, she had raised blood \u03b2-HCG levels, measured using the Abbott i-STAT POCT device. A subsequent blood sample sent for laboratory analysis showed \u03b2-HCG levels within the post-menopausal reference interval.\n                      <jats:bold>Discussion:<\/jats:bold>\n                      In both cases, POCT immunoassay interference was confirmed by consistent results produced when contemporaneous samples were analysed by different analytical platforms. Immunoassay interference, though rare, can lead to inaccurate results from POCT devices, potentially impacting patient diagnosis and management. Clinical teams should remain vigilant for this possibility; if test results do not align with clinical expectations, it is essential to promptly send a blood sample for laboratory analysis.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1177\/00045632261433346","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,21]],"date-time":"2026-03-21T13:55:27Z","timestamp":1774101327000},"page":"458-461","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/sage-journals-update-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["False-positive point-of-care urine beta human chorionic gonadotropin testing: Insights from two clinical cases"],"prefix":"10.1177","volume":"63","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0000-8624-3668","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Gayani Nilmini","family":"Dissanayake","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"De Soysa Maternity Hospital for Women"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Hanine","family":"Fourie","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Gynaecology Directorate, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Gordana","family":"Fricker","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Gynaecology Directorate, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Darmiga","family":"Thayabaran","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Gynaecology Directorate, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mayur","family":"Patel","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Clinical Biochemistry, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ingrid","family":"Granne","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Nuffield Department of Women's and Reproductive Health"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Brian","family":"Shine","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Clinical Biochemistry, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"179","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,21]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_3_4_2_2","volume-title":"StatPearls","author":"Larkins MC","year":"2023","unstructured":"Larkins MC. Point-of-care testing. In: StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing, 2023. Available from: https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/books\/NBK592387\/ (accessed 20 November 2024)."},{"key":"e_1_3_4_3_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/clinchem\/45.7.942"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_4_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3343\/alm.2022.42.1.3"},{"issue":"2","key":"e_1_3_4_5_2","first-page":"105","article-title":"Interferences in immunoassay","volume":"25","author":"Tate J","year":"2004","unstructured":"Tate J, Ward G. Interferences in immunoassay. Clin Biochem Rev 2004; 25(2): 105\u2013120, Available from: https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC1904417\/ (accessed 20 Nov 2024).","journal-title":"Clin Biochem Rev"},{"issue":"1","key":"e_1_3_4_6_2","first-page":"010802","article-title":"False positive result of human chorionic gonadotropin caused by human anti-mouse antibodies","volume":"33","author":"Racek J","year":"2023","unstructured":"Racek J, Poto\u010dov\u00e1 I, Rajdl D, et al. False positive result of human chorionic gonadotropin caused by human anti-mouse antibodies. Biochem Med (Zagreb) 2023; 33(1): 010802. Available from: https:\/\/doi.org\/10.11613\/BM.2023.010802 (accessed 20 November 2024).","journal-title":"Biochem Med (Zagreb)"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_7_2","first-page":"1","article-title":"A rational diagnostic approach to the \u201cphantom hCG\u201d and other clinical scenarios in which a patient is thought to be pregnant but is not","volume":"15","author":"Oyatogun O","year":"2021","unstructured":"Oyatogun O, Sandhu M, Barata-Kirby S, et al. A rational diagnostic approach to the \u201cphantom hCG\u201d and other clinical scenarios in which a patient is thought to be pregnant but is not. Ther Adv Reprod Health 2021; 15: 1\u201312. Available from: https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC8207263\/ (accessed 20 November 2024).","journal-title":"Ther Adv Reprod Health"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_8_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1210\/jc.2014-4023"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_9_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/clinchem\/48.11.2023"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_10_2","unstructured":"NIHR Community Healthcare MIC. Point-of-care testing for human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG). Available from: https:\/\/www.community.healthcare.mic.nihr.ac.uk\/reports-and-resources\/horizon-scanning-reports\/point-of-care-testing-for-human-chorionic-gonadotrophin-hcg (2023 accessed 20 November 2024)."},{"key":"e_1_3_4_11_2","unstructured":"Abbott Point of Care Inc. Total beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (\u03b2-hCG) reagent kit insert. Available from: https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S1472648323007423 (accessed 20 November 2024)."},{"key":"e_1_3_4_12_2","volume-title":"ARCHITECT total beta hCG reagent kit (2000T)","author":"Abbott Diagnostics","year":"2000","unstructured":"Abbott Diagnostics. ARCHITECT total beta hCG reagent kit (2000T). Abbott Laboratories, 2000. 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