Heterotopic Pregnancy Diagnosed with Point-of-care Ultrasound in the Emergency Department: A Case Report

INTRODUCTIONHeterotopic pregnancies are rare. However, they are occurring with increasing frequency. Unfortunately, diagnosis is frequently delayed, with patients presenting in extremis. CASE REPORTWe present a case of a heterotopic pregnancy diagnosed by point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) in a woman...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Clinical practice and cases in emergency medicine 2020, Vol.4 (2), p.178-180
Main Authors: Holley, Ian J, Stickles, Sean P
Format: Report
Language:English
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:INTRODUCTIONHeterotopic pregnancies are rare. However, they are occurring with increasing frequency. Unfortunately, diagnosis is frequently delayed, with patients presenting in extremis. CASE REPORTWe present a case of a heterotopic pregnancy diagnosed by point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) in a woman presenting with lower abdominal pain, who had a documented normal first trimester ultrasound the day prior to presentation. DISCUSSIONGiven the increasing rates of heterotopic pregnancies, we can no longer be reassured by the presence of an intra-uterine pregnancy (IUP) in a patient with concerning signs and symptoms of a ruptured ectopic pregnancy. A thorough POCUS evaluation of the uterus and adnexa is essential for the diagnosis of heterotopic pregnancy in the emergency department. CONCLUSIONThis case highlights the value POCUS brings to the emergency department evaluation of patients in early pregnancy.
ISSN:2474-252X
DOI:10.5811/cpcem.2020.2.45933