Gastroscopy for a child is prescribed by a gastroenterologist with frequent complaints of pain in the organs associated with the digestive system. The procedure is quite unpleasant, but it is considered informative to identify lesions in the mucous tissues of the upper gastrointestinal tract (stomach, esophagus, duodenum).
Method classification
Before prescribing a gastroscopy for a child, the doctor conducts a thorough examination of the patient, listens to complaints, if the baby can speak, and determines the volume of the investigated surface. Technologies for sites of different sizes differ:
- FGS - fibrogastroscopy - makes it possible to evaluate the esophagus and gastric cavity.
- FEGDS - fibrogastroduodenoscopy - the entire digestive apparatus, including the duodenum, is examined.
- VEGDS - video esophagogastroduodenoscopy - nanotechnology allows you to save data on removable media.
The diagnostic method requires a special approach to children. Only flexible endoscopes are used, the capabilities of which allow penetration into the blind zones.
Important! Equipment for the study of children is selected based on age, size of the esophagus. The thickness of the gastroscope should not be more than 0.6 cm.
Features of the procedure for children
Gastroscopy is rarely prescribed for babies, but since children tend to get sick while still in the womb, the question of how old children do gastroscopy with is not appropriate. Modern technologies make it possible to perform the procedure for newborns, there are no restrictions on the age criteria for the study. A pediatrician or pediatric gastroenterologist prescribes such an examination, if appropriate, since it should be understood that it is stressful for children.
If endoscopy is performed for children from two months to 5 years of age, general anesthesia is usually used. Before the start of manipulation, adolescents undergo local anesthesia or refrain from using additional drugs because of contraindications. When collecting an anamnesis, attention should be paid to concomitant diseases with bouts of epilepsy, panic attacks, uncontrolled panic. In such cases, a child’s gastroscopy under anesthesia is done to be able to study the focus of the pathology in detail.
Important! Children from birth to 2 months are not given anesthesia.
In which cases gastroscopy is prescribed for children
There are many reasons for prescribing gastroscopy to a child. Not everyone can be a sign of diseases of the digestive system, it is important to correctly establish the diagnosis and differentiate the disease from others. The adequacy and effectiveness of the therapy prescribed in the future depends on the correctness of the identification of the cause of the appearance of bothering symptoms.
Prescribing to children is indicated if the following symptoms are observed:
- intense vomiting, nausea;
- frequent burping, violation of swallowing function;
- stool instability (diarrhea, constipation);
- the child is not gaining weight, losing weight for no reason;
- refusal of food or poor appetite;
- possible violations of the integrity of the digestive tract (injuries, burns).
Children's gastroscopy can be scheduled or urgently. It is advisable if you suspect:
- For inflammation in the digestive apparatus.
- Peptic ulcer.
- Reflux esophagitis.
- Tumors of various etiologies.
An emergency procedure is prescribed if the child has:
- bleeding from the mouth;
- an ultrasound or X-ray shows a foreign object;
- all signs indicate congenital malformations of the digestive tract (up to a year);
- chemical burns, stenosis.
A big plus of gastroscopy by means of an endoscope - if necessary, it is possible to carry out the selection of material for laboratory research, an operation to remove foreign bodies, tumors.
What technique to undergo the examination to appoint, determines the doctor, paying attention to the peculiarities of symptoms.
How to prepare your child for the procedure
The basic rules for preparing for the procedure are age independent and should be followed by all patients. Thus, more accurate information can be obtained by examining the lesions of the digestive organs.
Proper preparation includes the following algorithm of actions:
- A period of fasting is mandatory before the procedure. It is 8-12 hours. If the baby undergoes gastroscopy, the issue of restricting food intake is discussed individually. For babies who are breastfeeding, the maximum break between feeding should not be more than 6 hours.
- Dinner should not be late (18-21 hours). Fermentation products (vegetables, fruits) should not be present in the diet.
- In the morning, the child is set up for brunch, since it is forbidden to eat food, water, or medications before gastroscopy.
- Since the procedure is performed for children, emphasis is placed on the strict prohibition of the following products 48 hours before the procedure: seeds, nuts, gas-forming products, muffins, chocolate.
- Clothing on the child should be spacious.
You should not create a nervous situation, rush, fuss. Exit should be planned in advance. Under the office, the patient should be a quarter of an hour before the start of the manipulation. Mom should have:
- Medical history, outpatient card.
- Direction.
- A sheet and a towel.
Any previously taken pictures and research results should also be with you so that the doctor has the ability to track the dynamics of the disease.
Contraindications
Since the procedure is therapeutic and preventive, it may not be suitable for all children. Only a doctor should establish a diagnosis, conduct examinations and prescribe a treatment regimen. The gastroenterologist will not prescribe the procedure to a child with such diagnoses:
- narrowing of the pharynx due to the presence of an inflammatory focus;
- fixed scars that impede the passage of the endoscope;
- background diagnosis - pulmonary, heart failure in severe form;
- aortic aneurysm;
- destructive changes in the thoracic region of the spinal column;
- thymus enlargement.
Also, the procedure is not performed if at the time of the examination the child has signs of a viral infection, hyperthermia, cough, intestinal dysfunction, continuous vomiting. Planned actions are postponed indefinitely, until recovery.
A special approach should be to children with enlarged adenoids, epilepsy, infections with Koch's bacillus.
What the doctor sees on the monitor
Through an endoscope and a small camera that displays the image on the screen, the doctor examines the condition of the mucous tissue, recording changes in the lesion. During the study, when bleeding is detected, the problem can be stopped immediately by determining the exact location of the gap. Also, the specialist sees and can determine:
- location of polyps, cancerous tumors, ulcerative foci, scars, narrowings;
- the presence in the stomach of the bacteria Helicobacter pylori - the causes of many problems of the digestive apparatus;
- the likelihood of perforated ulcers.
Timely identification of areas with pathological abnormalities in the mucous tissues of the gastrointestinal tract allows you to quickly take action, stop the destructive process, and cure the disease. Identification of signs of malignant changes at an earlier date significantly improves the prognosis for recovery.
High-precision equipment determines the likely defects and pathologies of the upper digestive system:
- artesia;
- varicose veins in the esophagus;
- stenosis of reflux etiology;
- dysfunction of the lower esophageal sphincter;
- hiatal hernia;
- inflammatory processes;
- tumors of various nature.
The method is quite informative and allows you to identify the disease in the early stages. If necessary, during gastroscopy, you can carry out local treatment, take a smear, a piece of tissue for research.
What does the patient feel during the procedure
According to reviews, during the diagnosis, patients experience discomfort. Gastroscopy of the stomach for children is a serious psychological trauma. There may be bouts of nausea, belching, and vomiting. You may notice how tears from the eyes involuntarily stand out. While pushing the device into the throat a short pain is felt. After the gastroscope passes through the mouth of the esophagus, the pain syndrome immediately passes.
If the little patient already understands what the doctor is talking about and follows some recommendations without panic, the moment of discomfort will pass quickly. It is only necessary to perform several swallowing actions - and the endoscope will be at its destination.
In order to smooth out discomfort and get a clear picture, it is necessary to do gastroscopy for children on professional equipment designed specifically for kids.
Duration of the procedure
Gastroscopy is considered a rather traumatic method of examination. The longer the process, the greater the likelihood that the doctor will not miss the pathological focus and study the tissues in detail.
Parents worry every minute while the child is undergoing the procedure, and it is quite natural that they want to know how the children undergo gastroscopy and how long the whole process takes.
The child is lying on his side in a specially equipped room. The patient's back is straightened and legs bent at the knees. The child clamps the mouthpiece with his teeth. An endoscope will be inserted through the fixture. During the introduction of the tube, the patient is asked to swallow. After the gastroscope enters the stomach, the doctor begins to supply air to smooth the folds of mucous tissues and improve the field of view. At this point, saliva accumulation is removed by saliva ejection. The child undergoes gastroscopy under anesthesia, therefore, reflexes do not interfere with the doctor during the manipulation. All of the above actions take a quarter of an hour. If necessary, make a puncture, excise the polyp, stop the bleeding, enter the medicine, gastroscopy can take 30-40 minutes.
How does the baby feel after the procedure
After completing the procedure, the child may feel discomfort. According to reviews, several days after the intervention of doctors, bloating is felt. After anesthesia, there may be attacks of nausea, vomiting, dizziness.
It is especially important to carefully monitor the condition of the baby in the first days after passing the examination. Seek medical attention immediately if the following symptoms occur:
- intense cramping in the stomach;
- hyperthermia;
- vomiting with blood;
- diarrhea with black patches.
Any abnormal changes in the health status of the child require urgent hospitalization.
Where to do a gastroscopy for a child
Parents should only trust the health of their children to trusted, qualified specialists. In children's hospitals there are endoscopic departments where they provide advisory and emergency assistance. New technologies are being introduced into clinical practice; the development of endoscopic criteria for pathologies in newborns and developmental defects is being applied. A scientific approach to gastroscopy is used from the first days of life.
This procedure is proposed to be performed by many medical institutions, private clinics on an outpatient basis. Be sure to clarify whether children undergo gastroscopy and whether they have all the necessary tools for small patients. Prices for services range from 3,500 to 15,000 rubles. The cost may be affected by:
- assessment of the level of the clinic;
- professionalism and reputation of doctors;
- additional analyzes;
- difficulty level of work;
- the use of anesthesia, anesthesia, sedatives;
- technical equipment.
Price is not the main quality criterion. If the question of where to make a gastroscopy for a child is relevant, then, first of all, reviews recommend finding a qualified specialist with practical experience. Usually a forum of mummies helps to navigate this well.