Revised guidance about early pregnancy loss and introducing the use of ultrasound for early diagnosis of tubal ectopic pregnancies has been published.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) document covers diagnosing and managing ectopic pregnancy and miscarriage in women with complications, such as pain and bleeding, in early pregnancy (up to 13 completed weeks).
The document aims to improve how early pregnancy loss is diagnosed, and the support women are given, to limit the psychological impact of their loss.
Advice includes what signs to look out for when carrying out a transvaginal ultrasound scan in early pregnancy, which could indicate possible, high-probability and definite tubal ectopic pregnancies.
“All ultrasound scans should be performed or directly supervised and reviewed by appropriately qualified healthcare professionals with training in, and experience of, diagnosing ectopic pregnancies”, the guidance says.
The recommendations will not change the amount of ultrasound scanning that is carried out but will help to standardise practice across the NHS.
You can view the full guidance document, including the highlighted changes, on the NICE website.