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Decline in βhCG levels between days 0 and 4 after a single dose of methotrexate for ectopic pregnancy predicts treatment success: a retrospective cohort study
Author(s) -
Skubisz MM,
Lee J,
Wallace EM,
Tong S
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
bjog: an international journal of obstetrics and gynaecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.157
H-Index - 164
eISSN - 1471-0528
pISSN - 1470-0328
DOI - 10.1111/j.1471-0528.2011.03133.x
Subject(s) - methotrexate , ectopic pregnancy , medicine , retrospective cohort study , human chorionic gonadotropin , pregnancy , medical treatment , obstetrics , gynecology , hormone , intensive care medicine , biology , genetics
Please cite this paper as: Skubisz M, Lee J, Wallace E, Tong S. Decline in βhCG levels between days 0 and 4 after a single dose of methotrexate for ectopic pregnancy predicts treatment success: a retrospective cohort study. BJOG 2011;118:1665–1668. In current protocols for the medical management of ectopic pregnancies, the first indication of treatment response is obtained no sooner than day 7. We examined whether human chorionic gonadotrophin (βhCG) trends between days 0 and 4 after methotrexate provide an earlier indication of the likely outcome. Of 33 patients where serum βhCG dropped between days 0 and 4 after methotrexate, the ectopic pregnancy was resolved in 88% of cases without further treatment. Of 12 women where serum βhCG rose between days 0 and 4, only 42% had treatment success. A fall in βhCG between days 0 and 4 after treatment with methotrexate for ectopic pregnancy predicts a high likelihood of treatment success.