Ectopic pregnancy

Medium urgency
-Moderately severe

Implantation of a fertilised egg in a place other than the uterus.

Often the exact cause is not known, although many factors have been described that hinder the fertilised egg's journey and favour ectopic implantation.

It manifests as pain in the lower abdomen and bleeding outside of regular menstruation.

Diagnosis is based on symptoms, a positive pregnancy test and an ultrasound scan to confirm extrauterine implantation of the egg.

Depending on the patient's clinical condition, medical or surgical treatment is used.

Bibliographic references
  1. Togas Tulandi. Ectopic pregnancy: Clinical manifestations and diagnosis. UpToDate. Jun 29, 2016.
  2. Alkatout I, Honemeyer U, Strauss A, et al. Clinical diagnosis and treatment of ectopic pregnancy. Obstet Gynecol Surv 2013; 68:571.
  3. Doubilet PM, Benson CB, Bourne T, et al. Diagnostic criteria for nonviable pregnancy early in the first trimester. N Engl J Med 2013; 369:1443.
  4. Maria Luisa Cañete Palomo, Ana Piñas Carrillo, Noelia Gómez Martínez. Dolor abdominal y embarazo. Embarazo ectópico. Manual de protocolos y actuación en urgencias. Hospital Virgen de la Salud, Complejo Hospitalario de Toledo. Tercera edición. 2010.1343:1346.
  5. Ectopic Pregnancy. Mummert T, Gnugnoli DM. 2020 Nov 20. In: StatPearls [Internet].Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2021 Jan
  6. Efficacy and safety of expectant management in the treatment of tubal ectopic pregnancy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Colombo GE, Leonardi M, Armour M, Di Somma H, Dinh T, da Silva Costa F, Wong L, Armour S, Condous G. Hum Reprod Open. 2020 Oct 25;2020(4):hoaa044. doi: 10.1093/hropen/hoaa044. eCollection 2020. 
  7. Ectopic Pregnancy: Diagnosis and Management. Hendriks E, Rosenberg R, Prine L. Am Fam Physician. 2020 May 15;101(10):599-606.
Author
Dr. Oscar Garcia-Esquirol
Copyright
© TeckelMedical 2026

Symptoms

    Absence of menstruation


    Generalised abdominal pain


    Vaginal bleeding


    Nipples are darker than usual


    Missed three consecutive periods

Pre-hospital care recommendations

Complete rest until seen by a doctor.
Maintain hydration of 2 litres per day.
Avoid taking over-the-counter medications like non-steroidal anti-inflammatories.
Take over-the-counter analgesics.