health procedures






 

Question by  JonReid (21)

What are the chances of a false positive on a triple screen test?

I recently got my test results back and they were psoitive markers for Downs Syndrome.

 
+6

Answer by  jalucia (936)

The triple screen test is a screening test, not a diagnostic test. The test only signals a possibility that there could be a genetic disorder present, therefore, further testing is warranted. There is a high percentage of false positives with this test. It has been documented in some places that it has a false positive rate of 5%.

 
+5

Answer by  SashaDarkCloud (5764)

Actually, they can be very high chance that you have a false positive. There are many factors that can throw it off since it measure hormones in the mother's blood.

 
+5

Answer by  11worker (86)

Research claims that there is a 5-8% false positive rate. Blood test results are not the only factor used in determining your chances of having a child with abnormalities. Your age, ethnicity, health (diabetic), etc. are also used. The Triple Screen Test is becoming obsolete being replaced by the Quad Test, which is more sensitive.

 
+4

Answer by  Ali41 (1593)

The triple or quad screens have a fairly high false positive rate. However, don't despair. The next step your doctor will likely take is to have you go to a level two ultrasound. In this test, they will look carefully at how the baby has formed to determine problems.

 
You have 50 words left!