Incidence Of Ectopic Pregnancy In Calabar, Nigeria: Two Halves Of The Last Decade Compared

Abstract

Reports of a rising incidence of ectopic pregnancy (EP) in the country and beyond prompted this study to determine the incidence in Calabar over two time frames. Information from ward registers and case notes of EP patients who presented to the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital from 1991 to 1995 were analyzed and compared with records of those who presented from 1996 to 2000. In the second half of the study period, the incidence was 3.30 per 100 deliveries, significantly higher than 2.19% in the first (p = 0.0008). The mean age of EP patients was 26.2 (sd = 5.38), significantly lower than 28.8 (sd = 5.99) for women who delivered in the same period (p < 0.01), while the mean parity was 2.2 (sd = 2.15) significantly higher than 1.7 (sd = 1.90) for women who delivered in the same period (p = 0.01). The incidence was higher in the younger age groups (p = 0.000) with the highest of 5.81% recorded by age group 20-24. Conversely, it rose with parity (0.00002) to a peak of 5.03% at para 4. There was also a rise in their mean parity from 1.9 (sd = 2.08) in the first half to 2.4 (sd = 2.05) in the second (p < 0.05) and a rise in the prevalence of pelvic adhesions from 38.3% to 68.9% (p = 0.00) Rates of other documented risk factors were not significantly different in the two halves of the study (p > 0.05). The incidence of EP appears to be rising in Calabar and puerperal infections may be important in the rise. Population-based prospective studies are necessary to confirm the findings.

KEYWORDS: Ectopic Pregnancy, Calabar, Nigeria