Psychological Distress in Patients With Recurrent Ectopic Pregnancies: A Cross-Sectional Study.
Na-Na Ren, Minerva B De Ala, Ling Chang and 3 others
PMID 39487571WHAT IT FOUND
In this group, patients with recurrent ectopic pregnancy usually had distress: 96 of 134 reported mild, moderate or severe symptoms.
Age, education, children, miscarriages, insurance and money pressure were linked to higher distress.
Key findings
01Of 134 patients with recurrent ectopic pregnancy, 96 reported psychological distress.
02Moderate or severe distress was reported by 46.3% of patients.
03Age, education, number of children, miscarriages, medical insurance and economic pressure were associated with distress scores.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study surveyed patients at one hospital in China, so it may not apply to other settings or populations. It measured distress at one point in time, so it cannot show what caused the distress or whether any care reduced it. Distress was self-reported with a questionnaire, and the authors noted no objective evaluation indicators. Patients with psychiatric disorders, communication disorders, severe organ dysfunction or severe chronic disease were excluded, so it says little about those groups. The authors described the sample as small and limited geographically.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that recurrent ectopic pregnancy caused the distress or that psychological support reduced it. This was a one-time survey at one hospital, so it can only show associations among these patients.