Ectopic pregnancy

Ectopic pregnancy (EP) is a serious and increasing health problem in the United States and other countries. In the United States, it accounts for 15 percent of maternal deaths, 75 percent of which are estimated to be preventable, and its incidence has increased more than 100 percent for some demographic groups over the past 10 years. There are a number of potential contributing factors to ectopic pregnancy; however, their relationship to actual incidence is unclear in some instances. Nonspecific symptoms increase the difficulty of diagnosis. This article presents an overview of the significance of the problem, contributing risk factors, clinical presentation, diagnostic modalities, treatment and nursing implications.