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Clinical Question: How useful is the β-HCG discriminatory zone in a suspected ectopic pregnancy?

In Clinical Questions, Medical Concepts by Tiffany ChowLeave a Comment

For female patients presenting to the emergency department with a positive serum β-HCG as well as abdominal pain, vaginal bleeding, syncope, or hypotension, the prudent emergency physician must rule out an ectopic pregnancy (EP). This potentially life-threatening entity is estimated to occur in 1.5 to 2% of all pregnancies and ruptured ectopic pregnancies account for 6% of all maternal deaths [cite num=”1″]. Point-of-care ultrasound (either trans-abdominal or trans-vaginal) has become the standard of …