# Abruptio placenta



## Ediron (Jan 3, 2010)

Abruptio placenta vs. Ectopic pregnancy


they both present with lower abdominal pain and
vaginal bleeding, how do you differ them??

for national test purposes


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## rescue99 (Jan 3, 2010)

Ediron said:


> Abruptio placenta vs. Ectopic pregnancy
> 
> 
> they both present with lower abdominal pain and
> ...



Abrupto is 3 trimester while eptopic happens much sooner.


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## LondonMedic (Jan 3, 2010)

It's a while since I did obs & gobs but FWIW, placental abruption presents with sudden onset pain, ectopic is less dramatic however as rescue99 states - the former happens in the first months of pregnancy, the latter in the last.


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## Aidey (Jan 3, 2010)

The person with the ectopic pregnancy may not even know that she is pregnant. 

Also, either condition may or may not have vaginal bleeding, that isn't a guaranteed occurrence.


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## Ediron (Jan 3, 2010)

rescue99 said:


> Abrupto is 3 trimester while eptopic happens much sooner.




I think your referring to Placenta previa, im talking about abruptio placentae


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## LondonMedic (Jan 3, 2010)

Ediron said:


> I think your referring to Placenta previa, im talking about abruptio placentae


Abruption can happen at any stage but almost always occurs from 5 months onwards becoming more common towards term.


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## rescue99 (Jan 3, 2010)

Ediron said:


> I think your referring to Placenta previa, im talking about abruptio placentae



NO, abrupto..sorry.


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## amberdt03 (Jan 3, 2010)

LondonMedic said:


> It's a while since I did obs & gobs but FWIW, placental abruption presents with sudden onset pain, ectopic is less dramatic however as rescue99 states - the former happens in the first months of pregnancy, the latter in the last.




The one time I've seen an ectopic pregnancy, was when I was a freshman in high school. It was during basketball practice when one of our players collapsed into the fetal position and was screaming. An assistant coach took her to the hospital and she was diagnosed with an ectopic pregnancy. I always thought that it does present with sever lower Abd. pain, but like I said that was the only time I've ever seen it and that was way before I decided to pursue a career in EMS


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## Aidey (Jan 3, 2010)

There is a difference between an ectopic pregnancy, and a ruptured ectopic pregnancy too.


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## Jeffrey_169 (Jan 9, 2010)

The diagnostic differences are with placenta abrupto there are typically obvious signs of pregnancy (due to the late stage of pregnancy), whereas with an ectopic pregnancy there are none (due to being the early phases). There may or may not be bleeding in either event, however.


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