"Mirror has this matter"

"Mirror has this matter"

Author: Zhang Wei, Emergency Department, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital

With the rapid development of medical endoscopic technology, people's awareness of gastrointestinal diseases has generally improved, and gastrointestinal endoscopy has become more and more popular.

So, what is a gastrointestinal endoscopy?

As the name implies, electronic gastroscopes and colonoscopes are used to directly observe changes in the gastric and intestinal mucosa, detect lesions in a timely manner, and perform in vivo pathology and cytology examinations. Gastroenteroscopy is the preferred method for early screening of digestive tract cancer. Gastroenteroscopy can visually observe changes in the esophageal, gastric, and colorectal mucosa, take or record lesion images, and evaluate the nature, location, boundaries, and range of lesions, completing screening and early diagnosis in one step. Therefore, gastroenteroscopy is called the "gold standard for the diagnosis of digestive tract lesions."

What kind of people should undergo gastrointestinal endoscopy?

① For people with a family history of digestive tract tumors, it is recommended to undergo gastrointestinal endoscopy screening as soon as possible, and a targeted follow-up plan can be developed with a gastroenterologist based on the results of the gastrointestinal endoscopy screening;

② For the general population, it is recommended that gastrointestinal endoscopy should be started at the age of 45 to 50, regardless of whether there are symptoms or not;

③For patients with gastrointestinal symptoms, such as stomach pain, black stools, and after gastrointestinal surgery, they should undergo gastrointestinal endoscopy in a timely manner.

What should I pay attention to when doing a gastrointestinal endoscopy?

Before undergoing a gastrointestinal endoscopy, you must complete an electrocardiogram, blood test and other examinations. On the day of the examination, you must bring all medical records and cooperate with the staff's preoperative evaluation.

① To prevent bleeding during biopsy, endoscopists recommend that patients who have been taking anticoagulants (such as aspirin, Plavix, etc.), Chinese medicine for promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis, and antidepressants for a long time should stop taking the medicine for at least 7 to 10 days before undergoing examination (please consult relevant specialists to see whether other specialty medications can be discontinued; if there are any medications that must be taken, please inform the doctor who issued the endoscopy application form in advance).

② It is recommended that female patients do not undergo colonoscopy during their menstrual period, as colonoscopy during the menstrual period can easily cause retrograde infection. Colonoscopy can be performed 3 to 5 days after the menstrual period.

③Preoperative diet and water preparation: Before gastroscopy, you must fast and abstain from water for more than 8 hours; before colonoscopy, you should pay attention to eating light, residue-free semi-liquid food one day before the examination, such as peeled white steamed bread, white bread, white rice porridge, etc. Do not eat green vegetables and fruits, especially fruits with seeds, and take bowel cleansing drugs as required for bowel preparation; patients who choose to undergo painless gastroenteroscopy should fast and abstain from water on the day of the examination (only drink bowel cleansing drugs), and must not drink for at least 4 hours and 8 hours before the operation. One family member must accompany them.

④ During the examination, because the digestive tract is a hollow organ, in order to better observe and diagnose, a certain amount of gas must be injected through the gastroenteroscope to expand the stomach and intestinal cavities to an appropriate degree. Therefore, some patients will have abdominal distension and stomach discomfort. Don't worry, it will be relieved after the gas is discharged.

When can I eat after the examination?

① After the gastroscopy, the anesthetic effect will disappear 2 hours after the examination, and there will be no numbness in the throat. You can eat warm or cool liquid or semi-liquid food. If there is no discomfort, you can resume normal diet at the next meal. If a tissue biopsy is performed during the operation, you can eat warm or cool liquid food 2 hours after the examination, and you can eat semi-liquid food 4 hours after the examination.

② You can eat after the colonoscopy. Those who have a biopsy can eat warm and cool semi-liquid food on the same day. Arrange your life reasonably and avoid strenuous activities.

Zhang Wei, Department of Emergency Medicine, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital