Early pregnancy Flashcards
What is an ectopic pregnancy?
When a pregnancy is implanted outside of the uterus
- Most common site: fallopian tube
- Can implant in entrance to the fallopian tube (cornual region), ovary, cervix, or abdomen
Where is the most common site for an ectopic pregnancy?
What are the risk factors for an ectopic pregnancy?
(anything slowing the ovum’s passage to the uterus)
- Previous ectopic pregnancy
- Previous PID (damage to tubes)
- Previous surgery to the fallopian tubes
- Intrauterine devices (coils)
- Older age
- Smoking
- Progesterone only pill
- IVF- 3% pregnancies are ectopic
When does an ectopic pregnancy present?
6-8 weeks gestation
What are the classic features of an ectopic pregnancy?
- Missed period
- Constant lower abdo pain in the right or left iliac fossa
- Vaginal bleeding
- Lower abdo or pelvic tenderness
- Cervical motion tenderness (pain when moving the cervix during a bimanual examination)
What is the investigation of choice for diagnosing a miscarriage?
Transvaginal ultrasound scan- to identify the location of the pregnancy and whether there is a fetal pole and heartbeat
If a TV USS is unacceptable offer a transabdominal USS and explain the limitations of this method
What may be seen on a transvaginal ultrasound for an ectopic pregnancy?
- Gestational sac containing a yolk sac or fetal pole may be seen in a fallopian tube
- Sometimes a non specific mass may be seen in the tube
- Mass containing empty gestational sac- blob/ bagel/ tubal ring sign
- An empty uterus
- Fluid in uterus which may be mistaken as gestational sac- pseudogestational sac
How is a tubal ectopic pregnancy differentiated from a corpus luteum?
Tubal ectopic pregnancy moves separately to the ovary where as a corpus luteum will move with the ovary
What is a pregnancy of unknown location? How do you confirm it?
Woman has a positive pregnancy test but there is no evidence of pregnancy on the ultrasound scan
- hCG can be tracked to monitor a pregnancy of unknown location
- The serum hCG is repeated after 48 hrs to measure the change from baseline
- The developing syncytiotrophoblast of the pregnancy produces hCG, it will double every 48 hrs in an intrauterine pregnancy
- Rise of 63% or more indicates intrauterine pregnancy
- USS after 1-2 weeks to confirm this - pregnancy visible on USS once hCG is > 1500 IU/L
- This will not be the case in a miscarriage/ ectopic pregnancy
- A fall of 50% or more hCG is likely a miscarriage
- Urinary pregnancy test should be carried out after 2 weeks to confirm the miscarriage is complete
Where are women with pelvic pain or tenderness and a positive pregnancy test referred to?
Early pregnancy assessment unit or gynaecology service
What are the three options for terminating an ectopic pregnancy?
- Expectant management (awaiting natural termination)
- Medical managment (methotrexate)
- Surgical management (salpingectomy or salpingotomy)
What is the criteria for expectant management?
- Followup needs to be possible to ensure successful termination
- Ectopic needs to be unruptured
- Adnexal mass <35mm
- No visible heartbeat
- No significant pain / asymptomatic / clinically stable
- HCG level <1000 IU/L
What is the criteria for methotrexate termination of ectopic pregnancy?
- HCG level must be <1500 IU/L
- Confirmed absence of intrauterine pregnancy on ultrasound
- No significant pain
- Have an unruptured tubal ectopic pregnancy with an adnexal mass smaller than 35 mm with no visible heartbeat
- Do not have intrauterine pregnancy as confirmed by USS
- Are able to return for follow up
How is methotrexate given for termination?
Intramuscular injection into a buttock - results in spontaneous termination
What are women advised regarding pregnancy after methotrexate termination?
Not to get pregnant for 3 months
What are the side effects of methotrexate management of ectopic?
- Vaginal bleeding
- Nausea and vomiting
- Abdo pain
- Stomatitis (inflammation of the mouth)
Who requires surgical mangement for ectopic pregnancy?
Those who do not meet the criteria for expectant or medical management
Offered first line to those who are unable to return for follow up, and:
- Significant pain
- Adnexal mass > 35mm
- Fetal heartbeat visible on USS
- hCG > 5000 IU/L
- Can be ruptured
What are the options for surgical managment of ectopic pregnancy?
- Laparoscopic salpingectomy
- First-line
- General Anaesthetic
- Keyhole surgery with removal of the affected fallopian tube along with the ectopic prenancy inside the tube
- Laparoscopic salpingotomy
- May be used in women at increased risk of infertility due to damage of the other tube
- Aim to avoid removing the affected fallopian tube
- A cut is made in the fallopian tube, the ectopic pregnancy is removed, the tube is closed
- Increased risk of failure to remove the ectopic pregnancy; up to 1 in 5 require further mx with methotrexate or salpingectomy
Also give anti rhesus D prophylaxis to those who are rhesus negative having surgical mx of ectopic pregnancy
What is a miscarriage?
Spontaneous termination of a pregnancy
Early: before 12 weeks gestation
Late: between 12-24 weeks gestation
What is a missed misscarriage?
Fetus is no longer alive, but no symptoms have occured
What is a threatened miscarriage?
Vaginal bleeding with a closed cervix and a fetus thats alive
What is an inveitable miscarriage?
Vaginal bleeding with an open cervix
What is an incomplete miscarriage?
Retained products of conception which remain in the uterus after the miscarriage
What is a complete miscarriage?
A full miscarriage has occured and there are no products of conception left in the uterus
What is anembryonic pregnancy?
Gestational sac is present but contains no embryo
What is the investigation of choice for diagnosing a miscarriage?
Transvaginal ultrasound scan
What are the three key features which a sonographer looks for in an early pregnancy?
- Mean gestational sac diameter
- Fetal pole and crown rump length
- Fetal heartbeat- when this appears the pregnancy is considered viable
(appear sequentially as pregnancy develops, as each appear the previous feature becomes less relevant in assessing viability of the pregnancy)
At what length of crown-rump is a fetal heartbeat expected?
7mm or more
What happens if there is a crown rump length of 7mm or more without a fetal heartbeat?
Scan is repeated after one week before confirming a non-viable pregnancy
When is a fetal pole expected?
Once the mean gestational sac diameter is 25mm or more
What confirmatory investigation is done when there is a mean gestational sac diameter of 25mm or more without a fetal pole?
Scan is repeated after one week before confirming an anembryonic pregnancy
What is the management of women with a pregnancy less than 6 weeks gestation presenting with bleeding?
Managed expectantly provided they have no pain and no other complications or risk factors e.g. previous ectopic
- This means awaiting the miscarriage with Ix or treatment
- USS is unlikely to be helpful as the pregnancy will be too small to be seen
- Repeat urine pregnancy test after 7-10 days, if negative, miscarriage can be confirmed
- When bleeding continues or pain occurs- further ix is indicated
How to manage a women with a positive pregnancy test and bleeding?
Referral to an early pregnancy assessment unit for women with a positive pregnancy test
What are the investigations for a woman presenting after 6 weeks gestation and bleeding?
Ultrasound scan to confirm the location and viability of the pregnancy - essential to always consider and exclude an ectopic pregnancy
What are the three options for managing a miscarriage?
- Expectant managment (do nothing and await a spontaneous miscarriage)
- Medical managment (misoprostol- postaglandin analogue, activates prostaglandins softening the cervix and stimulating uterine contractions. Vaginal suppositry or an oral dose)
- Surgical managment (manual vacuum aspiration under local anaesthetic or electric vacuum aspiration under general anaesthetic)
When is expectant management offered for miscarriages in over 6 weeks gestation?
First-line for women without risk factors for heavy bleeding or infection
1-2 weeks are given to allow the miscarriage to occur spontaneously (repeat urine pregnancy test should be performed three weeks after bleeding and pain settle to confirm miscarriage is complete)
In an expectant miscarriage, when are further assessments and repeat ultrasounds warranted?
Persistent or worsening bleeding - indicates an incomplete miscarriage and require additional management
What is misoprostol?
Prostaglandin analogue - it binds to prostaglandin receptors and activates them