DIAGNOSING UNRUPTURED ECTOPIC PREGNANCY

OBJECTIVE: A retrospective analysis of the management of ectopic pregn ancy at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra, Ghana, to assess the impa ct of the introduction of ultrasonography as a diagnostic tool. METHOD S. All charts of patients with ectopic pregnancies from 1 January 1986 to 31 December 1990 were analyzed. The management of those patients w ho had transabdominal ultrasonography was compared with those who had not. RESULTS: The use of ultrasonography increased the number of unrup tured ectopic pregnancies from 0.3% to 8.5% (P < 0.001). This also ref lected a reduction in misdiagnoses, blood transfusions, and maternal d eaths. CONCLUSIONS: The reasonable use of modern technology can be of great assistance even in developing countries, as shown by the positiv e impact of the use of ultrasonography to aid in the diagnosis of ecto pic pregnancy in Ghana, West Africa.