title: Ectopic pregnancy in the United States, 1970-1986.
abstract: In 1986, both the rate of hospitalizations due to ectopic pregnancy and the number of hospitalizations decreased from those reported in the previous year, although the decreases were not statistically significant. If this leveling off of previous yearly increases becomes a continuing trend, possible explanatory hypotheses include a leveling off of disease occurrence, and an increasing use of outpatient management. The case-fatality rate rose slightly in 1986, to 4.9 deaths per 10,000 ectopic pregnancies, although this rate still represents an 86% decline from the 35.5 deaths per 10,000 ectopic pregnancies reported in 1970. In 1986, ectopic pregnancy accounted for only 1.4% of all pregnancies but was associated with over 13% of maternal deaths. Compared with white women, women of black and other minority races had a 1.6 times greater risk of ectopic pregnancy. Ectopic pregnancy remains one of the leading causes of maternal death in the United States and continues to be an important public health problem.
authors.affiliation: Division of Reproductive Health, Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.
authors.forename: H W
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Lawson
authors.forename: H K
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Atrash
authors.forename: A F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Saftlas
authors.forename: E L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Finch
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008428:Maternal Mortality; D008913:Minority Groups; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011247:Pregnancy; D011271:Pregnancy, Ectopic / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D014481:United States