title: Vital signs fail to correlate with hemoperitoneum from ruptured ectopic pregnancy.
abstract: The objective was to determine correlation between vital signs and hemoperitoneum in ruptured ectopic pregnancy. A retrospective chart review of ectopic pregnancies at our urban county hospital between 1990 and 1998 was conducted. Fifty-one cases met inclusion criteria. Mean minimum systolic blood pressure (SBP) 89mmHg (range 40-118), mean maximum heart rate (HR) 101 beats/min (range 62-156). Mean volume of hemoperitoneum 1,050 mL (range 400-2,000 mL). Correlation between vital signs and volume of hemoperitoneum was poor (R(2) = 0.04 for HR, R(2) = 0.1 for SBP). Association of tachycardia with hypotension was also poor (R(2) = 0.1). Extreme individual variations were observed. If surgical decisions were made on the basis of hypotension, 38% of patients could have received either inappropriate additional studies or surgical approach. Patients with normal vital signs had a 20% chance of having class IV blood loss at surgery. HR and blood pressure do not correlate well with volumes of hemoperitoneum from ruptured ectopic pregnancy.
authors.affiliation: University of Minnesota, Hennepin County Medical Center, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Hick
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Rodgerson
authors.forename: W G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Heegaard
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sterner
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure; D003657:Decision Making; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate; D006465:Hemoperitoneum / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D006786:Hospitals, Urban; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011271:Pregnancy, Ectopic / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012421:Rupture; D014218:Triage