Think Ectopic - Saving Lives, Together
Why our Think Ectopic campaign is crucial
Ectopic pregnancy remains common, affecting around 1 in 80 pregnancies. The MBRRACE-UK 2024 Report “Saving Lives, Improving Mothers’ Care” identified that ectopic pregnancy remains the most frequent cause of maternal death in early pregnancy. You can read our statement on the MBRRACE-UK 2024 Report.
The MBRRACE team identified concerns over the number of deaths due to ectopic pregnancy which led to the review of deaths due to early pregnancy causes occurring in 2021-22 being “expedited” – meaning this review happened more quickly. During such two-year period in the UK and Ireland, 12 women died from an early pregnancy-related cause; these were all due to ectopic pregnancy. Ectopic pregnancy deaths have risen again – from 5 reported in 2019, to 8 in the 2022 report, to now 12. This is an alarming trend and ectopic pregnancy deaths in this report is almost twice the rate in 2018-20.
The report highlights the need for women and clinicians to be aware of the symptoms of ectopic pregnancy and to “Think Ectopic”.
We understand that departments are incredibly busy. However, through increased awareness of ectopic pregnancy and what needs to happen if a woman or person has symptoms, deaths and harm can be avoided.
We at The EPT are supporting families who have lost loved ones through ectopic pregnancy. No woman or person should lose their life as a result of ectopic pregnancy.
It is important that all staff caring for women of reproductive age with atypical symptoms, regardless of a known pregnancy, consider and exclude an ectopic pregnancy. Dismissing symptoms or attributing them to another cause can narrow the differential diagnosis and put women at risk of ruptured ectopic pregnancy
Working with healthcare professionals to prevent deaths and serious harm through ectopic pregnancy
Symptomatic women and people typically present at their doctor’s surgery or call NHS 111, attend A&E, or seek urgent care or paramedic care. We have developed an ectopic pregnancy biocard as an easy-to use patient safety tool for primary and urgent care settings. Our aim is to support healthcare professionals in these areas to recognise the signs of ectopic pregnancy and time critical next steps.
We have been fortunate to collaborate with healthcare professionals in creating this biocard:
- University Hospitals Birmingham
- Aberdeen Centre for Woman’s Health Research/Aberdeen Maternity Hospital
- NHS 111/Northwest London Integrated Urgent Care provided by London Central West Unscheduled Care Collaborative (LCW)
Thank you to our co-creators for their guidance and expertise.
Healthcare professionals’ support for our Think Ectopic campaign
We can only hope to effect change by collaborating with healthcare professionals. It is vital for us to engage with professionals who would be using these resources to ensure that we provide what they need and will be of use. We have worked with clinical teams from the very start of this project and will continue to engage at every step.
We gathered feedback from a range of primary care professionals at a recent conference to ask their thoughts on the Think Ectopic campaign. The responses were overwhelmingly positive. All respondents said that they consider the Think Ectopic campaign as an effective way to increase awareness of ectopic pregnancy symptoms and the referral process. 96% of respondents said they would use the biocard.
Our co-creators piloted the biocards in Aberdeen, Birmingham, and London clinical settings. The biocards were used by a range of healthcare professionals including doctors, nurses, midwives, and paramedics – in primary care, urgent care, and out-of-hours care. The feedback from these pilot sites was highly positive. 100% of clinical staff surveyed had used the biocards. 78% of respondents felt that it had increased their knowledge about ectopic pregnancy symptoms and 68% stated that their knowledge of how to refer someone with symptoms had increased.
This is very encouraging to know that we are working along the right lines.
We had a lady recently who sat in cohort and they [the paramedics] thought she was a UTI or pulmonary embolism - as soon as they did a pregnancy test within minutes she was in the right place and within an hour, she was in theatre. It's almost as if and up until that pregnancy test, they were thinking all sorts and then the moment they knew she was pregnant, they went straight to an ectopic. The ambulance crew said that was on the back of the biocard.- Feedback from pilot site lead
We are pleased to announce Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) endorsement of our Think Ectopic campaign. Dr Michael Mulholland, Honorary Secretary of the Royal College of GPs, said:
“This is an important campaign for all healthcare professionals to remind about ectopic pregnancy.”
The College of Paramedics also recognises the importance of the campaign and Helen Beaumont-Waters from the College commented:
“Paramedics play a vital role in early recognition and response to medical emergencies, including ectopic pregnancy. The Think Ectopic campaign and its resources provide essential tools to help paramedics identify symptoms, act promptly, and ensure patients receive the care they need without delay.”
Join the Think Ectopic campaign
Receive FREE biocards for your hospital and be a Think Ectopic champion. Please get in touch by completing the form below.
The biocards are aimed at urgent and primary care staff. Thank you for your help in distributing them among your colleagues. Note: For UK-based healthcare professionals only.
The resources page linked below is for healthcare professionals that are participating in our Think Ectopic campaign. To join and become a Think Ectopic champion, please complete the above form and we will be in touch soon.
