Publication:

Management of ectopic pregnancies in a tertiary centre

Background Ectopic pregnancies (EP) have become more common among young women in recent years. The incidence of EP has raised from 1.5-2% to 20.7 per 1000 pregnancies. As a result of early detection and treatment, the incidence of ruptured EP, maternal mortality, and morbidity has decreased. The purpose of this study is to examine all cases of EP in order to determine the incidence, as well as to investigate the risk factors, presentation, complications and management of EP.

Methods This is a retrospective cohort study conducted at Kasturba medical college in Manipal, India. All EP data from 2014 to 2019 was obtained from medical records. EP incidence, risk factors, mortality, and morbidity were the primary outcome measures. IBM.SPSS software version 23.0 was used to collect statistical data.

Results Over a five-year period, 436 EP were identified, with a 33/1000 pregnancy rate. The majority of women 243 (55.7%) were between the ages of 21 and 30. The most common risk factor was pelvic surgery (39.20%). 184 (42.2%) of the participants had classic EP symptoms, while 60 (13.76%) were asymptomatic. The 325 (74.5%) EP required surgical intervention. Methotrexate was used to treat 83 women (19.03%), 16 of whom were unsuccessful. The 86 (19.49%) women required blood transfusion. There were no reported deaths.

Conclusions Assessing risk factors and diagnosing with TVS, serum hCG assays, and timely intervention can help in reducing the morbidity and mortality due to EP.