"Watchful waiting" in ectopic pregnancies: a balance between reduced success rates and less methotrexate.
Many cases of ectopic pregnancy will spontaneously resolve, so that "watchful waiting" and β-hCG follow-up will separate true viable ectopic pregnancies from spontaneously resolving ectopic pregnancies. Withholding methotrexate in patients with spontaneously resolving ectopic pregnancies and administering it in only true viable ectopic pregnancies will no doubt decrease published success rates for this therapy.
Department of Gynecology, Lis Maternity Hospital, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel. ishai.levin@gmail.com
Ishai
I
Levin
Ziv
Z
Tsafrir
Nili
N
Sa'ar
Joseph
J
Lessing
Amiram
A
Avni
Ronni
R
Gamzu
Benny
B
Almog
D000020:Abortifacient Agents, Nonsteroidal / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011271:Pregnancy, Ectopic / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D057832:Watchful Waiting / Q000379:methods*
D000020:Abortifacient Agents, Nonsteroidal; D008727:Methotrexate