FTS Results
If your patient does not receive her results at the time of her appointment you can expect to receive a copy of her FTS report similar to the one below. If your patient has had a positive screen, she will have been contacted by a nurse or prenatal genetic counsellor to advise her of the results. If you have questions about FTS results, please do not hesitate to contact the program manager at 403-943-8382.
Dear Prenatal Care Provider:
Included is your patient’s First Trimester Combined Screen (FTS) report indicating a negative screen for trisomy 21 and trisomy 18, and trisomy 13.
These results have not been communicated to your patient.
When communicating FTS results to your patient, you may find the following guidelines helpful for your reference:
As this risk estimate relies on maternal age, please ensure that the date of birth on the report is accurate. If there is an error, please contact the program secretary (943-8379).
- The ‘Adjusted risk of trisomy 21’ is the FTS risk assessment result for Down syndrome.
- A negative screen for trisomy 21 is an adjusted risk estimate less than 1:300.
- The ‘Adjusted risk of trisomy 13’ and 'Adjusted risk of trisomy 18' have also been included.
- A negative screen for trisomy 13 or trisomy 18 is an adjusted risk estimate less than 1:150.
Women <35 years with an adjusted risk estimate less than the above cut-offs are not routinely offered prenatal diagnosis (chorionic villus sampling or amniocentesis).
Some women may receive a result that is increased over their age-related risk (called the ‘background risk of trisomy 21’ on the report) but below the 1:300 screen cut-off. This is still a ‘negative screen’.
FTS does not screen for all genetic conditions. The detection rate for trisomy 21, 13 and 18 is approximately 85-90%.
Prenatal Genetic Counselling (403-943-8375) is available for women who have additional questions or concerns.
If you require further clarification or guidance, please contact the program manager at 403-943-8382. We would also encourage you to review information available on the Early Prenatal Risk Assessment Program website.