Question: can an ectopic pregnancy cause a negative test?
Answer: Approximately 1% of ectopic pregnancies will have a negative urine pregnancy test and a β-hCG level of less than 20 mIU/mL. The emergency physician must remain cognizant of this potential diagnosis in the setting of unexplained intraabdominal hemorrhage or severe pelvic pain with a negative urine pregnancy test [2, 4].