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At UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, we believe parents and guardians can contribute to the success of this test and we invite you to participate. Please read the following information to learn about the test and how you can help.
An EGD or endoscopy is a test that allows your doctor to see inside the esophagus (ee-SOFF-a-gus), the tube that carries swallowed food to the stomach; the stomach; and the first part of the duodenum (dew-oh-DEEN-um), the beginning of the small intestine. It is used to look for swelling, irritation, ulcers and bleeding that can’t be seen in other tests, such as X-rays. With the endoscope, your doctor also can check for infection and possibly see the cause of swelling or irritation.
In order to make this test as comfortable as possible for your child, most EGD tests are done with anesthesia (an-es-THEEZ-ya), medicine that will allow your child to sleep through the test. Your doctor will tell you whether you child will have a sedation (se-DAY-shun) anesthesia or general anesthesia for this test.
Most EGD tests are done while your child is under general anesthesia, meaning that he or she will be sound asleep during the test.
Occasionally, the EGD may be done while your child is under sedation, meaning that your child will be given medication to make him or her very drowsy and relaxed during the test. Although your child will not be fully asleep, he or she probably will not even remember the test afterwards. If your child receives sedation, the doctor doing your child’s test will give the sedation medication.
Home Preparation
When sedation or general anesthesia is needed, there are important rules for eating and drinking that must be followed in the hours before the test. One business day before your child’s test, you will receive a phone call from a nurse between the hours of 1 and 9 p.m. (Nurses do not make these calls on weekends or holidays.) Please have paper and a pen ready to write down these important instructions.
For children older than 12 months:
For infants under 12 months:
For all children:
Once your child has been registered for the test, a member of the anesthesia staff will meet with you to take your child’s vital signs, weight and medical history. As the parent or legal guardian, you will be asked to sign a consent form before the anesthesia is given.
Once your child has been registered for the test, a nurse will meet with you to take your child’s vital signs, weight and medical history. As the parent or legal guardian, you will be asked to sign a consent form before the anesthesia is given.
We welcome your help and support during this test. One of the most important roles of a parent or guardian is to help your child stay calm and relaxed before and after the test. The easiest way to help your child stay calm is for you to stay calm.
Your child’s EGD will be scheduled either at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh or at Children’s North in Wexford. Your child’s doctor will decide which facility is most appropriate for your child’s test, depending on the type of anesthesia that has been chosen for your child. The location of your child’s test will be confirmed by a phone call from the scheduling nurse.
When the test is done, your doctor will speak with you in the surgical family waiting room. You can join your child in the recovery room when he or she is awake.
If your child has any special needs or health issues you feel the doctor performing the test needs to know about please call the gastroenterology procedure nurse at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh before the test at 412-692-5944. It is important to notify us in advance about any special needs.
Locations
Children's Hospital's main campus is located in the Lawrenceville neighborhood. Our main hospital address is:
UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh One Children’s Hospital Way 4401 Penn Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15224
In addition to the main hospital, Children's has many convenient locations in other neighborhoods throughout the greater Pittsburgh region.
With myCHP, you can request appointments, review test results, and more.
For questions about a hospital bill call:
To pay your bill online, please visit UPMC's online bill payment system.
Interested in giving to Children's Hospital? Support the hospital by making a donation online, joining our Heroes in Healing monthly donor program, or visiting our site to learn about the other ways you can give back.