Emergency department right upper quadrant ultrasound is associated with a reduced time to diagnosis and treatment of ruptured ectopic pregnancies.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether the time to diagnosis and treatment of patients with ruptured ectopic pregnancy is significantly less for patients who had emergency department (ED) right upper quadrant (RUQ) ultrasound (US) compared with those who had US in the radiology department.


METHODS
The authors conducted a retrospective review of eligible patients presenting to an urban ED between January 1990 and December 1998. Patients were included in the study if they were seen in the ED, had a discharge diagnosis of ruptured ectopic pregnancy, were brought immediately to the operating room after a definitive diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy rupture was made, and had more than 400 mL of intraperitoneal blood found at the time of surgery. The ED, hospital, radiology, and operative records were reviewed to determine presenting vital signs, intraperitoneal blood loss, time to diagnosis, time to treatment, and type of US performed.


RESULTS
There were 37 patients enrolled; 16 received ED RUQ US (group I) and 21 had a formal US in radiology (group II). The ages, pulses, systolic blood pressures, and volumes of hemoperitoneum were similar between the two groups. The average time to diagnosis from ED arrival was 58 minutes for group I (SD = 57; 95% CI = 28 to 87) and 197 minutes for group II (SD = 82; 95% CI = 162 to 232) (p < or = 0.0001). The average time to operative treatment was 111 minutes (group I) (SD = 86; 95% CI = 69 to 153) and 322 minutes (group II) (SD = 107; 95% CI = 270 to 364) (p < or = 0.0001), respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Patients with ruptured ectopic pregnancy, who were selected to have RUQ US performed in the ED by emergency physicians, had an average decrease in time to diagnosis of two and a quarter hours, and an average decrease in time to treatment of three and a half hours, compared with those having a formal pelvic US in the radiology department. Further prospective investigation is needed to determine whether ED RUQ US can safely expedite care of patients with suspected ectopic pregnancy.
Department of Emergency Medicine, Kaiser Foundation Hospital, Sacramento, CA, USA.
J D
JD
Rodgerson
W G
WG
Heegaard
D
D
Plummer
J
J
Hicks
J
J
Clinton
S
S
Sterner
D000328:Adult; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011271:Pregnancy, Ectopic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery*; D011336:Probability; D011872:Radiology Department, Hospital; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012422:Rupture, Spontaneous / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal / Q000379:methods*; D014505:Urban Population