title: [Improvement in the clinical picture of ectopic pregnancy following use of ultrasonography].
abstract: This study was proposed to evaluate the changes in the clinical picture of ectopic pregnancy in relation to the use of pelvic ultrasonography (UST). Twenty-five patients who used UST were compared to 60 patients who did not. In the UST group, 20.0% of patients showed a gestational sac and embryo, 12.0% showed an embryonal heart beat, 80.0% showed an adnexal tumor and 40.0% showed an echo free space in the cul-de-sac. However, there were no cases of intrauterine gestational sacs. The incidence of patients who exhibited over 500g of intraperitoneal hemorrhage were decreased by using UST (non-UST group: 40.0%, UST group: 10.5%), also decreased was the number of patients who showed signs of a shock state (18.2%, 5.3%), who required an emergency operation (43.6%, 5.3%) and who underwent blood transfusion (49.1%, 5.3%). The average gestational period at the time when the patient underwent an operation was shortened by 4 days by using UST. These results suggest that the routine use of UST is useful for improving the clinical prognosis of ectopic pregnancy and especially in reducing risk to the patient.
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006340:Heart Rate, Fetal; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D011247:Pregnancy; D011249:Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D011271:Pregnancy, Ectopic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D014463:Ultrasonography