Same-day pregnancy test provides valuable guidance to pre-surgery patients

The first trimester of any pregnancy is a precarious time, as about 15 percent of women who know they are pregnant will spontaneously miscarry. This risk increases when pregnant women undergo surgery, which is why Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in New York instituted a same-day pregnancy testing protocol. A study published in the April issue of Anesthesia and Analgesia shows that this protocol is effective in identifying unknown pregnancies to the benefit of the patient, the physician and the hospital.