Author: Jiang Zhuangliang, Jiangxi Provincial Maternal and Child Health Hospital
Source｜Medical World Obstetrics and Gynecology Channel
Let me start with a story that takes place in Umbrella Corporation's bioengineering laboratory, "The Hive".
Hundreds of genetics and bioengineering experts are conducting a scientific study: a virus suddenly broke out and spread rapidly, and the supercomputer "Flame Queen" sealed off the entire hive to prevent the virus from leaking to the ground, and the virus quickly infected all the staff.
A rescue team led by Alice, Ryan, and Matt arrives at the Hive after receiving orders to isolate the virus that has wiped out the entire population. However, the team soon discovers that the workers aren't truly dead. They've become terrifying zombies roaming the Hive. Anyone bitten or scratched by them will become infected and even instantly turn into a zombie.
Faced with a situation that is almost out of control, hundreds of highly aggressive zombies roaming around, and an even more mysterious evil force, how can the rescue team members escape the predicament and stop the virus from spreading further?
Yes, that's right. Did you think we were going to talk about Resident Evil today?
No! It's a biochemical pregnancy!
The question is, what is a biochemical pregnancy?
The book says that about two-thirds of early miscarriages are silent miscarriages, which occur before menstruation and are known as biochemical pregnancies.
Did you understand? To put it more simply, it means that after the sperm and egg unite, human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) is secreted, but the fertilized egg fails to implant in the uterus, resulting in a failed pregnancy.
Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is typically secreted 7 days after fertilization, and a pregnancy test can detect it 7 days later. Biochemical pregnancy usually occurs within the first 5 weeks of pregnancy and is also known as subclinical miscarriage; it is more common in IVF pregnancies.
You might not know this, but it can do both openly and secretly. It can be all over the place and use feints to attack from different directions, just like a suspect.
The Love-Hate Relationship Between Biochemical Pregnancy and Ectopic Pregnancy
The remaining years after a biochemical pregnancy are short, but they are often entangled with ectopic pregnancy.
They are like the two wicks in the oil lamp before the Buddha, strikingly similar in appearance, yet completely different in nature. Why is it that biochemical pregnancy is subject to public scrutiny and gossip?
Because it has everything that ectopic pregnancy has.
You said that your HCG level is not high in an ectopic pregnancy, which means that it is possible.
You said that an ectopic pregnancy can not be detected by ultrasound in the uterine cavity, which means that it is possible to have one.
You mentioned lower abdominal pain due to an ectopic pregnancy, which means that this pregnancy is still possible.
You mentioned that you have irregular vaginal bleeding due to an ectopic pregnancy, which means that this condition still exists and can still occur.
It can cause an increase in HCG levels, and it can also result in two red lines on an early pregnancy test. Do you think you're pregnant? Does that mean you can go buy baby clothes? NO! NO! NO!
This is a smokescreen, because its HCG levels are usually not high. Like ectopic pregnancies, the gestational sac cannot be seen in the uterine cavity on ultrasound.
It can also cause lower abdominal pain, but this pain is often caused by uterine contractions, which is different from the lower abdominal pain of ectopic pregnancy. Lower abdominal pain in ectopic pregnancy is the main symptom of patients with tubal pregnancy. It is often characterized by a dull pain or soreness in one side of the lower abdomen. When a tubal pregnancy miscarries or ruptures, there is a sudden tearing pain in the lower abdomen, often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
Biochemical pregnancies, on the other hand, are mild and tolerable, and may even go unnoticed, so they are often overlooked.
Vaginal bleeding from ectopic pregnancy is often irregular, dark red, and scant, generally not exceeding the amount of menstrual flow. A few patients experience heavier bleeding, similar to menstruation, and may have decidual fragments expelled during the bleeding.
In theory, a delayed menstruation after conception can be detected by an HCG test. However, ectopic pregnancies, except for interstitial tubal pregnancies which have a longer amenorrhea period, usually involve 6-8 weeks of amenorrhea, and 20%-30% of patients have no obvious history of amenorrhea. Therefore, menstrual cycles are unreliable in these cases. Patients often confuse normal menstruation with abnormal vaginal bleeding.
A biochemical pregnancy is an early miscarriage occurring within 5 weeks of gestation, characterized by the discharge of a grayish-white membranous substance. This is relatively common in some women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF).
A Buddhist-like boss, biochemical pregnancy
It resembled a normal pregnancy, and also an ectopic pregnancy, but it turned out to be a biochemical pregnancy.
Many women who experience a biochemical pregnancy may not even realize it before they've already lost it. These women don't go to the hospital for examination, and they don't pay attention to it, ignoring it as a delayed period. In fact, they have already suffered a miscarriage without even realizing it.
Biochemical pregnancies that result in miscarriage can usually be reversed without special treatment and have a good prognosis.
Look at biochemical pregnancy; in the end, it's like a sudden gust of wind ruffling an autumn pond—it returns to calm and emptiness. So, it's not an exaggeration to say it's a devout Buddhist. No matter how hard it goes, no matter how many twists and turns it takes, it will eventually turn to Buddhism. It's like mist, rain, and wind—coming and going, leaving only emptiness behind.
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