Expectant management in ectopic pregnancy

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Expectant management in ectopic pregnancy

Some early ectopic pregnancies are watched closely to see whether the embryo will become reabsorbed by the body. (This is also called expectant management.)

If an ectopic pregnancy ends on its own, a woman can avoid unnecessary medicine or surgical treatment. But if it keeps growing, an ectopic pregnancy can be life-threatening for the woman. This is why you have frequent checkups during expectant management.

To be a good candidate for expectant management, you must:

• Have no symptoms, such as abdominal pain or vaginal bleeding.
• Understand that there is a remote risk of fallopian tube rupture and excessive bleeding (hemorrhage).
• Have decreasing levels of the blood pregnancy hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) which suggests that your body is reabsorbing the ectopic pregnancy.
• Be able to see your health professional for frequent follow-up appointments.

Increasing abdominal or pelvic pain, tubal rupture, and high serum hCG levels are reasons to abandon expectant management and consider other treatment options. In this case, medicine or surgery or both are needed.

Credits

Last updated:	June 06, 2007
Author:	Ralph Poore
Reviewed By:	Joy Melnikow, MD, MPH - Family Medicine, Liisa Honey, MD, FRCSC - Obstetrics and Gynecology
Editors:	Sydney Youngerman-Cole, RN, BSN, RNC, Pat Truman, MATC