THE TICKING TIME BOMB; HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW THE HEALTH RISKS OF ECTOPIC PREGNANCIES?

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Blood transfusion is usually required to save women with ruptured ectopic pregnancy from shock due to massive internal bleeding. Courtesy wikimedia commons.

An ectopic pregnancy is an abnormal pregnancy in which a fertilized egg also known as the embryo, attaches itself into any other parts of the female genital tract or the abdomen other than the endometrium or the inner lining of the uterus. While they can be divided into various types, based on location of the ectopic pregnancy in the female genital tract, see DEFINITION AND TYPES OF ECTOPIC PREGNANCIES, they can also be divided based on presentation at the hospital into ruptured, non ruptured and slow leaking ectopic pregnancies. Most of the complications of ectopic pregnancies are seen following an unsuspected ruptured ectopic pregnancy. A ruptured ectopic pregnancy refers to an ectopic pregnancy that has outstretched its confining structures resulting in a significant tear followed by sudden and massive bleeding into the abdomen, often times, presenting with a history of sudden and severe abdominal pain, followed by a history of collapse and fainting attacks.This bleeding, if not promptly stopped by surgery can lead to the following complications:

Cardiovascular Shock

This refers to sudden inability of the heart to pump blood effectively to all the organs of the body, due to massive loss of blood into the abdominal cavity associated with ruptured ectopic pregnancy. When this happens a patient may slip into unconsciousness and may not be rousable until adequate resuscitation is done with fluid and blood, alongside an emergency surgery (laparotomy) to stop the bleeding.
Anaemia
This refers to a reduction in the quality and amount of red blood cells circulating in the blood. These cells transport oxygen from the lungs to the body. Following massive loss of blood, there is a reduction in the haematocrit or packed cell volume which is a measure of the amount of red blood cells in the blood. This, if not promptly and adequately corrected can lead to an acute state of anemia that can can cause death as vital organs are devoid of oxygen or if sub optimally corrected can lead to a chronic state of anaemia, features of which include weakness, panting, fatigue and and heart failure. Read more

 Source: Ewomen Clinic

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