Simple bedside test for ruling

out the risk of preterm or

imminent delivery

Actim® Partus is a fast and accurate rapid test to identify

patients with a risk of preterm delivery, even before the clinical
signs are visible. The easy-to-use test can be used for pregnant
women from week 22 until birth, and it is reliable even in the
presence of interfering substances.

Many pregnant women experience preterm contractions which

can be a sign of approaching delivery. A negative Actim Partus
result indicates that imminent delivery is highly unlikely; low-
risk patients can thus return home, overtreatment is avoided,
and valuable resources are saved.

actimtest.com
 Actim Partus is already
in use all over the world,
and it has been included in several
national treatment guidelines.

Actim Partus can be used

from week 22 onwards
when fetal membranes are
intact.

Actim Partus is a one-step

dipstick test, and gives results in
just 5 minutes
with sampling completed in
seconds.

Most women remain sexually active

during pregnancy, and because
intercourse and semen do
not interfere with the Actim
Partus results, there is no need to
rule out these patients.

Actim Partus test results are not

affected by vaginal medicatons,
infections, or various other
interfering factors.
Cervical phIGFBP-1
indicates preterm Amnion

delivery Chorion

Decidua

Myometrium
Actim Partus rapid test is based on unique and highly
specific monoclonal antibodies that bind to the
phosphorylated form of insulin-like growth factor binding
protein-1 (phIGFBP-1). PhIGFBP-1 produced in the fetal
decidua, leaks into the cervix when the decidua and
chorion detach as a sign of approaching delivery.

The presence of phIGFBP-1 can be detected with a dipstick

test even before these changes become clinically visible. Figure 1. Actim Partus identifies the risk of preterm
This makes phIGFBP-1 a reliable marker for estimating the delivery (PTD) through a simple cervical swab sample.
risk of preterm or imminent delivery.

Preterm delivery or harmless

contractions?
Half of pregnant women experience symptoms, yet only Actim Partus supports clinical decision making by helping
20% of these are at real risk of imminent or preterm correct PTD diagnosis. Patients who don’t require
delivery. Identifying patients who have harmless immediate medical attention can be sent home, instead
contractions can be difficult. In practise, this means that of treating all patients who have preterm contractions.
over-diagnosis and over-treatment are often the only option. This saves time and cost for both the patient and hospital.

A positive Actim Partus test result A negative Actim Partus test result

• A phIGFBP-1 concentration is 10 µg/l or more • phIGFBP-1 concentration is less than 10 µg/l in

in the cervical fluid extract, meaning tissue the extracted sample, meaning no significant
damage. tissue damage.

• The patient has a higher risk of PTD and • The patient can be sent home unless otherwise
should be evaluated for treatment aiming at clinically indicated, as delivery is highly unlikely
delaying the delivery or preparing the baby within the next 1–2 weeks.
for delivery.
• Unnecessary treatments with potential side
• Early identification of patients at real risk of effects can be avoided, the mother is given
PTD allows timely interventions. peace of mind, and hospital resources are saved.

• More than 2/3 of the symptomatic women get a

negative result.
Actim Partus rules out
false alarms
Clinical evidence from multiple studies shows that Actim Partus has a very high negative predictive
value (NPV), and is therefore a reliable tool to rule out the risk of imminent or preterm delivery. Its high
sensitivity, in turn, makes it effective in predicting preterm or imminent delivery.

Because Actim Partus is specific to phIGFBP-1, tests can be completed even in the presence of semen, urine,
infections, and medical products.

Table 1. Clinical evidence of Actim Partus as a predictor of imminent delivery.

Reference n GA (wk) End point Sensitivity Specificity PPV NPV

Tripathi et al., 2016 468 28–36 7d 95 % 92 % 86 % 97 %

Azlin et al., 2010 51 24–36 7d 80 % 94 % 57 % 98 %
Brik Spinelli et al., 2010 276 24–34 7d 73 % 66 % 22 % 95 %
Tanir et al., 2009 68 24–37 7d 93 % 79 % 56 % 98 %
14 d 61 % 80 % 68 % 74 %
Eroglu et al., 2007 51 24–35 7d 83 % 84 % 42 % 97 %
Ting et al., 2007 94 24-34 7d 69 % 78 % 39 % 92 %
14 d 72 % 80 % 46 % 92 %
Lembet et al., 2002 36 20–36 7d 94 % 85 % 83 % 94 %

Table 2. Clinical evidence of Actim Partus as a predictor of preterm delivery before week 32–37.

Reference n GA (wk) End-point Sensitivity Specificity PPV NPV

Tripathi et al., 2016 468 28–36 < 37 weeks 81 % 97 % 95 % 88 %
< 34 weeks 94 % 89 % 78 % 97 %
Riboni et al. 2011 210 24-34 < 34 weeks 64 % 86 % 24 % 97 %
Brik Spinelli et al., 2010 276 24–34 < 32 weeks 76 % 66 % 18 % 96 %
Tanir et al., 2009 68 24–37 < 34 weeks 70 % 75 % 48 % 89 %
Eroglu et al., 2007 51 24–35 < 35 weeks 70 % 88 % 58 % 92 %
Akercan et al., 2004 45 24–36 < 37 weeks 78 % 87 % 73 % 90 %
Lembet et al., 2002 36 20–36 < 37 weeks 90 % 94 % 94 % 89 %
Fast results at the bedside
in minutes
1 2

10-15 10-15
sec sec

3 4

5 5
min

1. Collect sample
2. Extract specimen
3. & 4. Activate the test
5. Interpret results
 Contact us

Ordering information
Actim Partus 10 test kit 31931ETAC
Actim Partus 1 test 31930ETAC
Actim Partus Controls 31900ETAC

Combine Actim Partus with Actim PROM

The most accurate test for detecting premature rupture
of fetal membranes.

Actim Oy
– part of Medix Biochemica Group
Klovinpellontie 3, FI-02180 Espoo, Finland
actim@actimtest.com
Test kit contains all necessary materials and can be
www.actimtest.com stored at room temperature.

Selected references
1. Akercan F et al. Value of cervical phosphorylated insulinlike 8. Lembet A et al. New rapid bed-side test to predict preterm delivery:
growth factor binding protein-1 in the prediction of preterm phosphorylated insulin-like growth factor binding protein-1 in cervical
labor. J Reprod Med (2004) 49: 368-372. secretions. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand (2002) 81:706–712.
2. Altinkaya O et al. Cervical phosphorylated insulin-like growth 9. Riboni F et al. Biochemical markers predicting pre-term delivery in
factor binding protein-1 in prediction of preterm delivery. Arch symptomatic patients: phosphorylated insulin-like growth factor binding
Gynecol Obstet. (2009) 279:279-283. protein-1 and fetal fibronectin. Arch Gynecol Obstet. (2011) 284:1325-9.
3. Azlin MI et al. Role of phIGFBP-1 and ultrasound cervical 10. Rutanen EM Insulin-like growth factors in obstetrics. Opin Obstet
length in predicting pre-term labour. Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecol (2000) 12:163-168.
Gynaecology (2010) 30:456–460. 11. Tanir HM , Sener T, Yildiz Z. Cervical phosphorylated insulin-like growth
4. Brik Spinelli M et al. Phosphorylated insulin-like growth factor factor binding protein-1 for the prediction of preterm delivery in
binding protein-1 and cervical measurement in women with symptomatic cases with intact membranes. J Obstet Gynaecol Res
threatening preterm birth. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand (2010) (2009) 1:66–72.
89:268–74. 12. Ting HS et al. Comparison of bedside test kits for prediction of preterm
5. Chen MX, Dansereau J, Hoag GN. Comparison of Fetal delivery: phosphorylated insulin-like growth factor binding protein-1
Fibronectin and Phosphorylated Insulin-Like Growth Factor (pIGFBP-1) test and fetal fibronectin test. Ann Acad Med Singapore
Binding Protein-1 Testing to Predict Preterm Delivery in (2007) 36:399-402.
Symptomatic Women: A 10-Year Retrospective Study. Obstet 13. Tripathi R et al. Comparison of rapid bedside tests for phosphorylated
Gynaecol Can. (2020) 42:971-976. insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 1 and fetal fibronectin to
6. Eroglu D et al. Prediction of preterm delivery among women predict preterm birth. Int J Gynaecol Obstet. (2016) 135:47-50. Epub
with threatened preterm labor. Gynecol Obstet Invest (2007) 2016 Jun 18.
64:109-116. 14. World Health Organization: Media Center. Fact Sheets: Preterm Birth.
7. Kekki M et al. Insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-1 in Updated 11/ 2015. Available in: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/
cervical secretion as a predictor of preterm delivery. Acta factsheets/fs363/en/ (accessed 09/2016).
Obstet Gynecol Scand (2001) 80:546-551.
The full reference list can be found on our website.

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