The Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) who practices in the emergency department must understand how to rapidly diagnose and rule out life-threatening conditions. In women presenting to the emergency department within the first trimester of pregnancy, an ectopic pregnancy is a potentially life-threatening condition that must be explored. An ectopic pregnancy is the presence of a fertilized embryo that implants outside of the uterus, with almost 70% occurring in the fallopian tube.1,2 Implantation of the fertilized embryo outside the uterus, especially in the fallopian tube, can have devastating consequences.
