Tags
Emerg. Med. Practice
Published
August 1, 2021
Author(s)
Tazeen Abbas, MD;
Abbas Husain, MD, FACEP
Action
Patient presents with vaginal bleeding and a negative pregnancy test.
Decision
Is the patient hemodynamically stable or unstable?
Background
Differential diagnosis
The differential diagnosis of abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB) in nonpregnant women is broad and includes benign causes such as weight changes or stress, as well as life-threatening causes such as malignancy or trauma. AUB can also mimic bleeding from the genitourinary tract or gastrointestinal tract, so bleeding from extrauterine sources should always be considered.
Age 12-18 years
- immaturity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis (most common)
- sexually transmitted infections
- coagulopathies
- bleeding disorders
Age 19-39
- structural causes, including polyps, fibroids, and malignancy
- polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)
Age 40+
- endometrial atrophy
- cancer
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Full Abnormal Uterine Bleeding Pathway
Hemodynamically stable
Hemodynamically unstable