Gut Investigations

Gut Investigations Barium Swallow A barium swallow is a test which is done to look at the oesophagus, not for function but for anatomy , looking to see if there are any areas of narrowing (or strictures as they are called), and this is very helpful in children who are having swallowing difficulties. It is…

Gut Investigations Upper GI endoscopy This is a way of looking at the oesophagus, stomach and duodenum and first part of the small bowel, called the jejunum by using a video on a micro-chip relaying images to a screen. It is useful for diagnosing conditions such as gastro-oesophageal reflux, gastritis (inflammation of the stomach lining),…

Gut Investigations Isotope white cell inflammatory scan This is now something that is rarely done but it has been used in the past where significant inflammation inside the intestine is suspected and involves a small amount of radiation by injecting the person’s own white cells back into the body when they have been labelled with…

Gut Investigations Barium Meal and Follow Through Barium is a substance that shows up on x-ray and a barium meal is when your child would swallow some liquid or solid containing barium and we would watch it go into the stomach, and then the intestine, and follow this through the intestine. It is very helpful…

Gut Investigations Small bowel biopsy A small bowel biopsy is particularly helpful when taken at endoscopy to exclude conditions such as Coeliac disease and other inflammatory conditions involving the small intestine and it is extremely safe with no significant side effects.Your child would have this done at endoscopy and then the biopsies are looked at…

Gut Investigations Hydrogen Breath Tests These will require your child to be present at the Outpatient Department for a period of 3 or more hours without having breakfast before arriving. This is because a drink involving an amount of the sugar to be tested for such as sucrose or lactose will be drunk and then…

Gut Investigations Abdominal Xray An abdominal xray is very helpful to look for abnormalities such as significant and severe constipation. It does involve some x-ray exposure but this is relatively minimal and it can also be helpful in looking for other issues such as kidney stones and can help in also looking at the spine.…

Gut Investigations pH and pH/Impedance Studies pH Study This is the way to look at the amount of acid entering the lower part of the oesophagus which might cause problems due to reflux. It is a thin plastic tube placed usually at endoscopy so the insertion does not cause any discomfort and the tip lies…

Gut Investigations Faecal analysis Faeces can be looked at for bacteria, viruses, the presence of parasites but all these are not particularly reliable. Faecal elastase is a test which can look for pancreatic function. There are other tests to look for blood loss and inflammation. In general, however, faecal analysis is not particularly helpful. There…

Gut Investigations Abdominal Ultrasound An ultrasound is something that happens regularly and frequently and does not involve radiation.It can be helpful for looking at the structures of the abdomen, including the pancreas, liver and to a certain extent the intestine. It is not helpful for reflux, nor for any inflammatory conditions involving the gut but…