title: Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy in the pediatric patient.
abstract: During a 4 year period (January 1988 to December 1991), 237 pediatric patients (mean age +/- SD, 9.75 +/- 5.17 years) underwent 289 upper gastrointestinal endoscopies. Premedication was used in only 102 of the endoscopic examinations, mostly in children between 2 and 10 years of age. Patients who were examined without sedation tolerated the procedure well. Abdominal pain was the most frequent indication, accounting for 57.4% of all procedures. Gastritis, esophagitis, duodenitis and duodenal ulcer were the most common endoscopic findings. Seventy-five endoscopies were performed to obtain small bowel biopsies. We found this procedure to be easy and safe and preferable to capsule biopsies. In our experience, upper gastrointestinal endoscopy with or without sedation is a safe and effective diagnostic procedure in the pediatric age group.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Children's Medical Center of Israel, Petah Tikva.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Zahavi
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Arnon
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ovadia
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Rosenbach
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hirsch
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dinari
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016099:Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives