Preliminary report of an electroplating test of urine for pregnancy

Abstract

A preliminary report of an electroplating test for the detection of pregnancy is described. The test is done on a 10 ml. aliquot of a freshly voided random sample of urine, which is brought to room temperature, adjusted to a pH of 4.0, and charged for 5 seconds with 12 volts direct current electricity applied through silver and copper electrodes. The urine of pregnant women causes a black substance to be deposited on the anode.Two groups of patients were studied. Group I consisted of 1,500 routine hospital admissions including pregnant and nonpregnant women, adult men, and children. Group II consisted of 150 patients from offices of specialists in obstetrics and gynecology. All cases had complete clinical follow-ups. Among 125 women in the first trimester of pregnancy, including those with complications of pregnancy (Group I), 84.0 per cent accuracy was found. Among 29 clinically known pregnant women without complications, an accuracy of 100 per cent was found.Parallel tests of frog, rabbit, and electroplating were carried out in 70 cases. The electroplating test yielded a 91 per cent accuracy in 44 clinically pregnant women and a 61.5 per cent accuracy in 26 clinically nonpregnant women. Of these 70 women, some were less than one month pregnant, others had a disturbed pregnancy such as threatened abortion, and others had a disease state complicating the pregnancy.Preliminary studies indicate that complications of pregnancy, such as threatened abortion, are accompanied by changes in the electroplating test, suggesting that it may be a valuable tool not only for detecting pregnancy but also for following the course of gestation.