AST Surgical Technologist Practice Exam

The routine ordering of a laboratory study for premenopausal women without a history of hysterectomy is often focused on the assessment of pregnancy status, primarily through the measurement of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG). HCG is a hormone produced during pregnancy, and its presence in the blood or urine is the most reliable indicator of a developing pregnancy. In a clinical setting, ensuring that a premenopausal woman is not pregnant is crucial before proceeding with many medical procedures, imaging studies, or certain medications that could pose risks to a developing fetus. As such, HCG testing is a standard practice when assessing women of childbearing age, especially in situations where pregnancy status could influence clinical decisions. While complete blood count, urinalysis, and thyroid function tests are important diagnostics, they do not specifically address reproductive status. Complete blood count might be ordered to check for anemia or infection, urinalysis for urinary tract infections or other conditions, and thyroid function tests to evaluate hormonal imbalances. However, none of these directly ascertain whether a woman is pregnant, which makes HCG testing the most pertinent choice in this particular context.