Scribd Logo
Upload

Welcome to Scribd!

  • 42 views

    Ectopic Pregnancy

    Uploaded by

    Rey Allan
    In an ectopic pregnancy, a fertilized egg has implanted outside the uterus. An infection or inflammation of the fallopian tube might have partially or entirely blocked it. Endometriosis is a common cause of uterine cell death.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Ectopic Pregnancy

    Uploaded by

    Rey Allan
    42 views6 pages
    In an ectopic pregnancy, a fertilized egg has implanted outside the uterus. An infection or inflammation of the fallopian tube might have partially or entirely blocked it. Endometriosis is a common cause of uterine cell death.

    Copyright

    © Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)

    Available Formats

    DOC, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Did you find this document useful?

    Is this content inappropriate?

    In an ectopic pregnancy, a fertilized egg has implanted outside the uterus. An infection or inflammation of the fallopian tube might have partially or entirely blocked it. Endometriosis is a common cause of uterine cell death.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as doc, pdf, or txt
    42 views6 pages

    Ectopic Pregnancy

    Uploaded by

    Rey Allan
    In an ectopic pregnancy, a fertilized egg has implanted outside the uterus. An infection or inflammation of the fallopian tube might have partially or entirely blocked it. Endometriosis is a common cause of uterine cell death.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as doc, pdf, or txt
    of 6

    Ectopic Pregnancy

    Ectopic means "out of place." In an ectopic pregnancy, a fertilized egg has


    implanted outside the uterus. The egg settles in the fallopian tubes in more
    than 95% of ectopic pregnancies. This is why ectopic pregnancies are
    commonly called "tubal pregnancies." The egg can also implant in the ovary,
    abdomen, or the cervix, so you may see these referred to as cervical or
    abdominal pregnancies.

    None of these areas has as much space or nurturing tissue as a uterus for a
    pregnancy to develop. As the fetus grows, it will eventually burst the organ
    that contains it. This can cause severe bleeding and endanger the mother's
    life. A classical ectopic pregnancy does not develop into a live birth.
    Signs and Symptoms

    Ectopic pregnancy can be difficult to diagnose because symptoms often


    mirror those of a normal early pregnancy. These can include missed periods,
    breast tenderness, nausea, vomiting, or frequent urination.

    The first warning signs of an ectopic pregnancy are often pain or vaginal
    bleeding. You might feel pain in your pelvis, abdomen, or, in extreme cases,
    even your shoulder or neck (if blood from a ruptured ectopic pregnancy
    builds up and irritates certain nerves). Most women describe the pain as
    sharp and stabbing. It may concentrate on one side of the pelvis and come
    and go or vary in intensity.

    Any of the following additional symptoms can also suggest an ectopic


    pregnancy:

    • vaginal spotting
    • dizziness or fainting (caused by blood loss)
    • low blood pressure (also caused by blood loss)
    • lower back pain

    What Causes an Ectopic Pregnancy?

    An ectopic pregnancy results from a fertilized egg's inability to work its way
    quickly enough down the fallopian tube into the uterus. An infection or
    inflammation of the tube might have partially or entirely blocked it. Pelvic
    inflammatory disease (PID), which can be caused by gonorrhea or chlamydia,
    is a common cause of blockage of the fallopian tube.

    Endometriosis (when cells from the lining of the uterus implant and grow
    elsewhere in the body) or scar tissue from previous abdominal or fallopian
    surgeries can also cause blockages. More rarely, birth defects or abnormal
    growths can alter the shape of the tube and disrupt the egg's progress.
    Diagnosis

    If you already know you're pregnant, or if the urine test comes back positive,
    you'll probably be given a quantitative hCG test. This blood test measures
    levels of the hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), which is
    produced by the placenta and appears in the blood and urine as early as 8 to
    10 days after conception. Its levels double every 2 days for the first several
    weeks of pregnancy, so if hCG levels are lower than expected for your stage
    of pregnancy, one possible explanation might be an ectopic pregnancy.

    You'll probably also get an ultrasound examination, which can show whether
    the uterus contains a developing fetus or if masses are present elsewhere in
    the abdominal area. But the ultrasound might not be able to detect every
    ectopic pregnancy. The doctor may also give you a pelvic exam to locate the
    areas causing pain, to check for an enlarged, pregnant uterus, or to find any
    masses.

    Even with the best equipment, it's hard to see a pregnancy less than 5
    weeks after the last menstrual period. If your doctor can't diagnose ectopic
    pregnancy but can't rule it out, he or she may ask you to return every 2 or 3
    days to measure your hCG levels. If these levels don't rise as quickly as they
    should, the doctor will continue to monitor you carefully until an ultrasound
    can show where the pregnancy is.

    Options for Treatment

    Treatment of an ectopic pregnancy varies, depending on how medically


    stable the woman is and the size and location of the pregnancy.

    An early ectopic pregnancy can sometimes be treated with an injection of


    methotrexate, which stops the growth of the embryo.

    If the pregnancy is further along, you'll likely need surgery to remove the
    abnormal pregnancy. In the past, this was a major operation, requiring a
    large incision across the pelvic area. This might still be necessary in cases of
    emergency or extensive internal injury.

    However, the pregnancy may sometimes be removed using laparoscopy, a


    less invasive surgical procedure. The surgeon makes small incisions in the
    lower abdomen and then inserts a tiny video camera and instruments
    through these incisions. The image from the camera is shown on a screen in
    the operating room, allowing the surgeon to see what's going on inside of
    your body without making large incisions. The ectopic pregnancy is then
    surgically removed and any damaged organs are repaired or removed.

    Whatever your treatment, the doctor will want to see you regularly afterward
    to make sure your hCG levels return to zero. This may take several weeks.
    An elevated hCG could mean that some ectopic tissue was missed. This
    tissue may have to be removed using methotrexate or additional surgery.
    What About Future Pregnancies?

    Some women who have had ectopic pregnancies will have difficulty
    becoming pregnant again. This difficulty is more common in women who also
    had fertility problems before the ectopic pregnancy. Your prognosis depends
    on your fertility before the ectopic pregnancy, as well as the extent of the
    damage that was done.

    The likelihood of a repeat ectopic pregnancy increases with each subsequent


    ectopic pregnancy. Once you have had one ectopic pregnancy, you face an
    approximate 15% chance of having another.

    Who's at Risk for an Ectopic Pregnancy?

    While any woman can have an ectopic pregnancy, the risk is highest for
    women who are over 35 and have had:

    • PID
    • a previous ectopic pregnancy
    • surgery on a fallopian tube
    • infertility problems or medication to stimulate ovulation

    Some birth control methods can also affect your risk of ectopic pregnancy. If
    you get pregnant while using progesterone-only oral contraceptives,
    progesterone intrauterine devices (IUDs), or the morning-after pill, you might
    be more likely to have an ectopic pregnancy. Smoking and having multiple
    sexual partners also increases the risk of an ectopic pregnancy.

    You might also like