When Marie came into the Emergency Department at Valley West Community Hospital complaining of sudden onset of abdominal and pelvic pain, she had no idea what it might be. Dr. James Fedinec, who is also a registered diagnostic medical and cardiac sonographer, examined her and decided right away to do FAST scan (Focused Assesment with Sonography of Trauma), an ultrasound that can help detect emergent situations including detached retinas, heart problems, abdominal aortic aneurysms, appendicitis, gall bladder problems, kidney stones, ruptured tendons, and many others. 

Dr. Fedinec, was quickly able to discern fluid in the pelvic area. A pregnancy test confirmed the diagnosis—an ectopic pregnancy.

An ectopic pregnancy develops outside the uterus. The most common site for an ectopic pregnancy is the fallopian tube, one of the tubes connecting the ovaries to the uterus. An ectopic pregnancy occurs in one percent of pregnancies.

Marie’s OB/Gyn was called immediately to decide the course of action for this potentially dangerous situation.

While ultrasound is a routine hospital procedure, having a portable ultrasound machine in the Emergency Department is not as common. To use ultrasound in the Emergency Department, doctors need to be trained and certified in how to interpret results, and these specially-trained doctors are in short supply.

Typically a radiologist would have to interpret the ultrasound results, which can add time to making a definitive diagnosis. In this case, Dr. Fedinec’s ability to diagnose the ectopic pregnancy quickly increased the patient’s chances for a positive outcome.

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