Ectopic Pregnancy

Definition: occurs when the fertilized

egg implants itself outside of the
uterus. The implantation might take
place in the fallopian tube, the cervix,
the abdomen, or the surface of the
ovary.

Etiologic Origin Nursing Management

occurs when a fertilized egg becomes impaled
while traveling to the uterus, frequently as a result
of inflammation or an abnormal fallopian tube.
Unbalanced hormone levels or irregular follicle
growth could possibly be at play.
Pathophysiology
A fallop ian tub e is the mo st typ ical
location for ectopic imp lantation ,
fo llo wed by th e u ter in e cor nea (r ef err ed
to as a co rnual or an in ter stitial
pr egn ancy). Rarely do pregnan cies occur
in the cerv ix, a scar f rom a cesar ean
d eliv ery, an ov ary, or the ab dom en.
Signs and Symptoms
The symp tom s of an ectop ic pr egnancy sometim es
r esem ble tho se of an ear ly pregnan cy, it can b e
challeng ing to iden tify. Missed p er iod s, br east
d isco mfort, mo tion sick ness, exhaustion, or frequent
ur in ation are a few examp les (peeing) . Often,
d isco mfort or v ag inal b leed ing ar e the f ir st indication s
of an ectopic p regn an cy.
Nurses must also have their own function when it
comes to ectopic pregnancy, even without a direct
order from the physician.
▪ No unusual symptoms are usually present at
the time of implantation of an ectopic
pregnancy.
▪ The usual signs of pregnancy would occur,
such as a positive pregnancy test, nausea
and vomiting, and amenorrhea.
▪ At 6-12 weeks of pregnancy, the trophoblast
would be large enough to rupture the
fallopian tube.
▪ Upon arrival at the hospital, a woman who
has a ruptured ectopic pregnancy might
present signs of shock such as rapid, thread
pulse, rapid respirations, and decreased
blood pressure.
Medical Management
As soon as a woman with an ectopic
pregnancy is taken to the emergency
room, medical management should
begin. Even a brief window of time
would make a significant impact in the
patient's safety.
✓ Administration of methot rexate
✓ Administration of mifepristone
✓ Intravenous therapy
✓ Withdrawing of blood sample