Pediatric colonoscopy. Colonoscopy - “Colonoscopy for a child. The preparation is worse than the procedure itself." Is it possible to have a colonoscopy during menstrual bleeding?


Hello! I would never have thought that my first review on this site would be dedicated to something like this. unpleasant procedure- colonoscopy. I will say right away that the colonoscopy was not performed on me, but on my daughter (16 years old).

So here it is. If you have been prescribed this examination, you cannot refuse it! They won’t just appoint him! And there is absolutely no need to be afraid of him, according to my child. In our case, colonoscopy was done under general anesthesia (mask). The procedure does not last long, on average about 20 minutes.

Now I’ll tell you about preparing for the examination.

I think the most common way to cleanse the intestines is to drink special drug(Fortrans). It’s accessible and doesn’t require outside help. I will say in advance that we were not able to do a colonoscopy right away. Okay, let's continue. We bought these bags and took them to the hospital (my daughter was in the hospital). Three bags were purchased for a weight of 57 kg (less than two were drunk, and at the same time the necessary cleansing was achieved). But drinking this rubbish turned out to be not just difficult, but unbearable. Constant retching and vomiting itself, terrible abdominal pain. And in the morning, after this drink, the temperature rose. As we understand, there was an exacerbation of the disease (presumptive diagnosis of UC). Because of high temperature(which took quite a long time) the colonoscopy was rescheduled for another day. Let's leave it out not very much interesting details. In short, the bowel cleansing for the second time was with the help of enemas. When all the enemas are done, then congratulations, the worst and most terrible thing is over (if you are doing the procedure under anesthesia). The colonoscopy was scheduled for 10:00. There were quite a lot of people in the room where the procedure took place. This is the colonoscopist himself, several nurses, and an anesthesiologist. In general, everything was definitely under control. The daughter was laid on the couch, the anesthesiologist explained how to breathe through a mask. A few breaths and you fall asleep. There was some dizziness, but overall everything went pretty smoothly. After 15-20 minutes, when the procedure was over, they began to wake up the daughter, put her on a gurney and took her straight to the bed in the ward. She recovered from the anesthesia very easily. After the procedure they were not strong discomfort, which gradually went away after a few hours, and the bloating. We also took a biopsy to determine the exact diagnosis. The intestines were examined completely, as the doctor said, right up to the liver.

Coming to the end of my review, I want to say and strongly recommend that you do not refuse this examination, especially if you have the opportunity to do it under anesthesia. And in principle, there is absolutely nothing to be afraid of, the procedure will pass you by and take very little time. No intestinal rupture or other fairy tales will happen! And then there were such rumors on the Internet. Everything is completely painless (but preparing for the procedure is downright unpleasant). And yes, the colonoscopy itself cost us 0 rubles.

– colonoscopy for children is performed strictly according to existing indications and doctor’s prescription. The diagnostic method allows you to assess the presence and extent pathological changes colon, and, if necessary, take tissue samples for detailed laboratory analysis(biopsy).

The examination process and features of the examination in children

In terms of technique, colonoscopy for children is not much different from the procedure for adults. A long flexible tube (endoscope) is equipped with a video camera, and the captured image is displayed on a monitor. The endoscopist conducting the examination can see all the anatomical details of the organs, and deviations from the norm. The endoscope is inserted into the child's anus, pre-treated with anesthetic gel, and moves at a slow pace along the rectum.

To fully visualize the intraintestinal space, the intestine is expanded with additional air. The time interval for the procedure varies from a quarter of an hour to 40 minutes. How long it actually takes depends on the scope of the study and the need to collect material for analysis. Based on the results obtained, the child is diagnosed and prescribed therapy.

The differences in the methods of performing pediatric and adult colonoscopy are:

  • dosage of a laxative at the preparatory stage for the examination;
  • use of a smaller diameter endoscope for children;
  • carrying out the procedure under anesthesia;
  • observation of the child after diagnosis in the clinic for several hours.

General anesthesia is used for children under twelve years of age. The anesthetic is administered intravenously; mask anesthesia, as a rule, is not used, since it affects intestinal contraction. This may negatively affect the results.

The use of this method is associated with some inconvenience and discomfort that the patient experiences during the study. Because of fear and painful sensations the child may throw a tantrum and disrupt the examination. Holding a baby by force in a static position is an almost impossible task. Therefore, during colonoscopy, the use of anesthesia for children is widely practiced.

Indications for administering anesthesia to adults are:

  • increased sensitivity (sensitivity);
  • low level hemoglobin in the blood;
  • inability to overcome fear of the procedure;
  • psycho-emotional deviations.

For children, the procedure is performed exclusively under general anesthesia.

Rarely, unforeseen circumstances may arise during diagnosis. These include: end-to-end disruption of the intestinal wall (perforation), damage to the intestinal mucosa. In this case, we may be talking about an incorrect procedure. If medical workers we did everything correctly, complications of this kind are completely excluded.

Preparatory activities

First of all, adults should take care of the location of the baby’s colonoscopy. The pediatric version of the procedure requires special care and caution from medical specialists. Therefore, it is necessary to choose only a highly qualified endoscopist and a reputable clinic.

The effectiveness of a rectal examination in both adults and children depends 95% on the proper level of preparation. Parents should be as responsible as possible preparatory stage. If a small patient goes to the examination insufficiently prepared, the doctor has the right to postpone the colonoscopy to another day, since the data will be distorted and the procedure will lose its meaning.

The preparation algorithm includes: dietary intake, regulation of psychological mood, use of laxatives or enemas.

You should start preparing your child no later than three days before the planned procedure. First of all, you need to adjust your diet. The diet involves the following changes described in the table.

Drinking carbonated drinks is strictly prohibited. Also, it is necessary to limit the consumption of sweets, chocolate, cakes and other sweets. The diet should not contain foods that increase the formation of gases in the intestines. On the eve of the examination, dinner should not be heavy. In the evening you should take a laxative. Adults are most often prescribed Fortrans, children this medicine shown only from 14 years of age.

Duphalac or Microlax are more suitable for young patients. The latter can be used already from infancy. Children should not be given harsh sena-based laxatives. The medicine should be prescribed by a pediatrician, taking into account age, body weight, and individual characteristics drug tolerance. An alternative to a laxative is a rectal cleansing enema.

In this case, the first enema is done in the evening, the second in the morning (on the day of the examination). The volume of liquid should be 15-20 ml of water per kilogram of weight for children under one year of age, and 30 ml for a child from one to three years of age. Concerning psychological state, parents must clearly explain the need for the procedure, reassure the child, talk about anesthesia, and ensure a stable emotional environment in the family.

Purpose and contraindications

Just like adults, colonoscopy for children is indicated to determine the cause of unclear symptoms, identify inflammation, neoplasms, or the presence of foreign bodies. Before deciding on the need for a detailed examination of the large intestine with an endoscope, the doctor conducts a palpation examination and prescribes an examination.

It includes clinical tests blood, urine, extended stool analysis. Sometimes allergy tests are prescribed to determine a possible allergic reaction to anesthesia.

Indications for diagnostics are:

  • regular pain in the intestines of unknown origin;
  • systematic problems with bowel movements (constipation, painful sensations during defecation);
  • history of anemia (anemia);
  • impaired intestinal motility ( intestinal obstruction);
  • suspected neoplasms in the colon or rectum;
  • protrusions of the walls of the colon (diverticulosis);
  • changes in the structure and composition of feces (the appearance of purulent or bloody impurities, black stools);
  • suspected presence of polyps (growths) in the rectum;
  • suspicion of tumor processes in the large intestine;
  • chronic inflammation intestines - Crohn's disease.


Examination of the baby by a pediatrician before and after the procedure is mandatory.

Your doctor may order a repeat colonoscopy after treatment to evaluate the results of therapy. The main prohibitions include: hemophilia (blood clotting disorder), exacerbation period pain syndrome in the rectum and colon, unstable somatic condition of the child (presence of infectious viral diseases), serious chronic pathologies respiratory organs, intolerance by a small patient to the anesthetics used.

Neither children nor adults are prescribed rectal endoscopic examination without serious indications. It is not recommended to abuse the procedure.

Possible side effects after diagnosis

Complications after the examination are extremely rare. This could be an allergic reaction to medications, increased gas formation, discomfort in the anus, short-term diarrhea. Such symptoms are eliminated through the use of carminatives (in case of antihistamine allergies), and lubricating the anus with an emollient cream.

If the pain is severe and there is an increase in temperature, then urgent medical consultation is necessary. You should not be afraid of the procedure. Using colonoscopy, you can diagnose the disease at the initial stage of its development and prevent more serious problems.

To protect children from intestinal diseases, parents should, first of all, carefully monitor their diet. An abundance of fast food and uncontrolled consumption of sweets increase the risk of developing intestinal pathologies. The diet must be balanced in terms of nutrients (fats, proteins and carbohydrates), you must take care of your diet and sufficient fluids. In addition, you need to pay attention to the observance of personal hygiene rules, rational physical activity, timely treatment infectious viral diseases.

The health of the child is the main point in the life of parents. If any troubles happen to your baby, you don’t mind giving anything so that your little one is healthy and happy.

But for a serious illness one symptomatic treatment sometimes it’s not enough.

For example, for an intestinal ailment one has to resort to serious methods examinations such as intestinal colonoscopy.

Colonoscopy as a diagnostic method

Colonoscopy is a procedure that examines the walls of the rectum and colon.

Based on the identified results, you can see information about the exact condition of the mucous membrane, about the normal structure internal walls or the presence of pathology inside the intestines.

The examination is carried out with a colonoscope - a fiberglass cable with a microscopic camera on the head. This peephole, using a computer, takes and transmits an image internal state intestines on the monitor screen.

In addition, the endoscope allows you to perform minor surgical interventions. The doctor can perform operations to neutralize polyps or foreign objects that accidentally enter the colon.

Colonoscopy, as a diagnostic method for childhood intestinal diseases, has proven to be best side. But unlike adult methods, for children, slightly different specifics of the procedure are used.

It is necessary not only to take into account the child’s age and sensitivity to the process, but also anatomical structure child's body.

There are several advantages of colonoscopy for children:

  1. A visual examination of the internal condition of the colon is performed.
  2. Detection of a tumor, fissure or adhesion.
  3. The reason is revealed bleeding from anus.
  4. Removal of tumors.
  5. Possibility of taking material for analysis (biopsy).

To carry out the inspection process abdominal cavity The little person needs to be well prepared. Only in this case can clear diagnostic results be achieved.

The procedure is performed by qualified specialists (coloproctologist and nurse), prepared for work, having specially studied the structure of the child’s body.

Thus, a colonoscopy in a child should be performed only for certain indications, with doctors specially trained to work with young patients.

Symptoms for diagnosis by colonoscopy

Define initial stages The development of the disease in a child is very difficult. Many diseases associated with digestion tend to last a long period of time with little hints of illness or no signs at all.

The main reason for the occurrence of any type of abdominal disease is the lack of diet and inappropriate food.

For the development of digestive disorders in children, the following is used:

  • excessively fatty foods;
  • overcooked food;
  • fast food products;
  • an abundance of sweets, chocolate, sweets, factory-made cookies;
  • carbonated drinks.

Thanks to such food, which is introduced into a child’s diet in unlimited quantities, the development of various ailments is possible.

To signs of violation normal operation gastrointestinal tract the baby has following symptoms:

  1. Loose stools, weak, flaccid general state, lack of appetite;
  2. Increased gas formation, painful flatulence;
  3. Complaints of pain in the abdominal area;
  4. Impaired defecation, constant constipation or, conversely, diarrhea or their joint manifestation through alternation;
  5. Detection in stool unusual impurities (mucus, blood);
  6. Sharp weight loss.

If such symptoms appear, it is not recommended to treat the child yourself. You can only worsen the symptoms of the disease, which will entail serious consequences. It is advisable to consult a doctor. A qualified specialist (gastroenterologist) will examine you and send you for tests.

A referral for an endoscope examination for a child is given only as a last resort if the problem cannot be determined in any other way.

Indicators for application

Colonoscopy is prescribed to children only after they reach 5 years of age and under general anesthesia.

The reasons for visiting the office are the following situations:

  • explanation of bleeding from the anus (causes and identification of the source);
  • removal of foreign objects from the colon;
  • if there is a suspicion of pathology in the structure of digestion;
  • examination of the nature of inflammation and the degree of its development;
  • the need for surgical intervention for the purpose of treatment;
  • neutralization of polyps, tumors;
  • the possibility of collecting biomaterial (mucus, part of intestinal tissue) for biopsy.

Such manipulations are performed only through the posterior lumen of the intestine. Not many adults can safely bear this procedure without special administration of sedative medications, and what can we say about children.

The child reacts with fear and hysteria. Under such conditions, the process cannot be executed. The baby can experience extreme stress associated with cable insertion. For normal examination you just need anesthesia.

Before the colonoscopy itself, the child should be psychologically prepared. Explain to him that although the procedure is not a pleasant method, it is very effective important role in his healing. There is no need to be afraid, the baby will not feel anything, the anesthesiologist will inject him with anesthesia and he will sleep.

The doctor injects a sedative medication into a vein in the arm. The dosage is calculated individually for each small patient. It operates throughout the entire period of manipulation and for several minutes after the procedure.

It turns out that diagnostics for children is completely painless. This effect is achieved with the help of sedatives. Otherwise, the examination process cannot be carried out.

Preparation for the procedure

However, any action, even under anesthesia, is impossible without appropriate preparation. If your child is scheduled for such an important procedure as a colonoscopy, you need to take preparation very seriously.

Based on the results obtained, after diagnosis, appropriate treatment will be given, which cannot be neglected.

Bowel preparation is based on the following steps:

  1. Entering and implementing a special diet.
  2. Use of laxative medications.
  3. Carrying out cleansing enemas several times.

The diet is prescribed 3-4 days before the colonoscopy.

Products that should be avoided until diagnosis, and those that can be included in the diet, are presented in the table:

Baby food
Exclude Leave
Gray, black breadLean fish
Berries, fruits (raspberries, grapes, kiwi, currants - anything with seeds)Kissel, tea,
Any porridgeRice porrige
SausageYogurt
Milk, cottage cheeseHomemade cookies
PastaCheese
Mushrooms, legumesVeal, chicken
Fatty fish and meatLenten soups, broths
Nuts, seedsWhite bread crackers
Carbonated drinksFruit juices without pulp
Fresh herbs, raw vegetablesCoffee

In addition to the list, it is not advisable to take medications that contain iron and Activated carbon. Such a diet will reduce or even neutralize gas formation, while at the same time, significantly less feces will be formed.

The day before the upcoming procedure, the child should be given any laxative drug (Senadexin, Duphalac, Phenolphthalein, Castor oil with kefir). The dosage and method of administration are prescribed by the attending physician in accordance with the weight category and age of the baby.

On the appointed day, you should not feed your baby to the fullest. The last meal should occur 14 hours before the procedure. It is worth giving the baby only liquid semolina porridge, sweet weak tea, rich meat broth.

This diet is given in the previous 1-2 days so that the child is full, but the food does not contribute to the accumulation of toxins in the intestines.

When there is only an hour left before the procedure, the little patient needs to have an enema. It will allow, having cleared all the contents from the intestinal cavity, to carefully, without interference, inspect all the internal contents of the pipes.

Performing a colonoscopy

Colonoscopy in children does not take long; the examination time is 30-45 minutes.

The patient is brought to a special room, where it is necessary to remove all clothing below the waist. The baby is placed on the prepared couch, on the left side. Sedatives are administered for anesthesia.

After the patient falls asleep, the doctor treats anal hole and a probe with an anesthetic drug (gel).

The cable with the camera is inserted slowly using air supply, which widens the narrow passages of the intestine. The supplied air under pressure evens out possible abnormal folds and turns, as well as adhesions and twists of the intestines.

With physiological rotation, the doctor helps the colonoscope move through palpation. The image is transmitted to a computer using a miniature camera on the probe.

But the picture would be impossible to see without additional lighting on the cable. There is a light there that allows you to see any changes in the intestines.

At the same time, the light is cold, it does not have the property of heating the device and contributing to the acquisition of internal burns.

After the event, further abstinence from food is not advisable.

The procedure is a very important method in diagnosing diseases. The main thing is to prepare thoroughly, otherwise if there is even a small amount of feces, the procedure is impossible.

Colonoscopy - effective method studies of the intestine, including its most distant parts. Colonoscopy refers to endoscopic types examination, involves studying intestinal sections from the inside using optical equipment. The main advantage of the method is the ability to take tissue samples for biopsy, remove polyps and treat bleeding areas. The procedure is more commonly used in adult therapeutic practice, but due to the increasing number of intestinal diseases in children, it is also used in pediatrics.

There must be good reasons for prescribing a colonoscopy examination of the intestines in children. Firstly, the procedure involves general anesthesia or sedation. Secondly, at an early age, the child’s intestines and gastrointestinal tract complete their formation, which may be accompanied by some disorders.

The following symptoms and diseases are considered the main indications for the procedure in children::

  • Suspicion of congenital anomaly development various departments intestines;
  • Internal bleeding (stable indicators hidden blood in feces without signs of dysbacteriosis, spotting bloody issues during defecation);
  • Ultrasound visualization of polyps and other tumor-like neoplasms;
  • Complaints of pain during bowel movements;
  • Suspicion of Crohn's disease;
  • Atypical discharge from the anus (mucous component, pus, liquid translucent exudate).

Endoscopic examination allows for a detailed assessment of the condition of the intestines in children, including the condition of the distal parts of the organ.

In addition to diagnostics, during a colonoscopy you can:

  • determine the location of the tumor,
  • take a biopsy sample for histology,
  • eliminate other pathological growths on the mucous membrane.

At what age can you have a colonoscopy?

There is no specific age that is a contraindication to diagnostic and treatment procedures. If consistently alarming symptoms are detected, there are no age-related contraindications to performing a colonoscopy.

Thus, examination can be carried out on newborns in special neonatal departments intensive care, children from one to 3 years old in the presence of atypical signs of various diseases.

Colonoscopy is the only minimally invasive method that will reliably determine the final diagnosis. If uncertainty or doubt remains, you can resort to magnetic resonance imaging, virtual colonoscopy using a computer scanner.

Anesthesia for colonoscopy in children: is it necessary or not?

Parents' fears for the future health of their children often confuse them when it is necessary to carry out various manipulations that require immobility or psycho-emotional preparation. Colonoscopy in children under 12-14 years of age is performed only under general anesthesia or sedation.

Such medical tactics due to the following factors:

  • absence of a stress factor;
  • unhindered manipulation;
  • fast and comfortable research for both parties;
  • absolute painlessness.

Given the increased mobility of the child and the exaggeration of many fears associated with visiting medical institutions, anesthesia solves the problem of the stress factor and the need for a calm position of the patient’s body. Modern drugs reduce the risks of complications associated with the administration of an anesthetic drug.

Types of anesthesia for children

There are three main types of anesthesia for colonoscopy::

  1. Local anesthesia with treatment of the probe tip with lidocaine;
  2. Sedation- short-term medicated sleep;
  3. General anesthesia(intravenous or tracheal administration of the drug).

For children under 14 years of age, only general anesthesia is used to eliminate the slightest stress factor. During the manipulation, the child does not feel anything, and after anesthesia he does not remember anything. During the procedure, the doctor can adequately examine the intestinal structures, decide on tactics, and correctly assess the condition of the mucous membranes.

At general anesthesia in the colonoscopy room there is: an endoscopist, a nurse, an anesthesiologist-resuscitator for quick assistance emergency assistance to kid.

During anesthesia, doctors constantly monitor:

  • breath,
  • hemodynamics,
  • pressure,
  • heart rate.

After the manipulation, the child can remain in the hospital under observation for up to several days, which depends on the general clinical history, the age of the child and related procedures.

Risks and inconveniences in carrying out

Despite the preference of colonoscopy for children of any age, there are some complications aimed at both the patient and the doctor.

The patient may experience the following difficulties::

  • Duration of the procedure, including preparation, diagnosis, recovery from anesthesia;
  • Emergence allergic reactions to administered drugs (including spontaneous reactions);
  • The need for special equipment and trained personnel;
  • Increasing the cost of the manipulation.

Absence negative emotions from the procedure, pain and contact with the doctor during the procedure increases the risk of injury to the intestinal mucous membranes.

There are also inconveniences for the doctor:

  • Lack of patient response;
  • Inability to take the required position as recommended;
  • The inability to report discomfort and pain, which is rare, but can still cause complications.

note! The procedure is carried out only in specialized hospitals, where there is everything you need to perform a colonoscopy with anesthesia from preparation to obtaining a full conclusion on the results of the study. The hospital must be equipped with an intensive care unit and have a resuscitation team on staff.

Preparing the child

Preparing a child for a colonoscopy is no different from the preparation of adults. You should start preparing for the study 3 days before the procedure. Usually preparing children early age is much more successful than for children over 10 years old.

It is important to observe the following basic points:

  1. Following a slag-free diet— all food should be steamed, semi-liquid, easily digested and excreted from the body (how to eat before a colonoscopy);
  2. On the last day before the study, you should go on a strict diet.- it is better if the diet consists of vegetable broths, crackers, jelly;
  3. The day before the test, take auxiliary laxatives.: Fleet soda, Duphalac syrup.

In the presence of a burdened clinical history and diseases requiring permanent use medicines, you should tell your doctor about this. It is important that all drugs are safe at the time of administration of anesthesia.

Purgation

On the last day, you should perform a cleansing enema or resort to medications. Before a colonoscopy, it is important to ensure complete cleansing of the intestines from feces.

The main difficulty is abstaining from any food for several hours before the colonoscopy.

Food can be replaced:

  • semolina porridge on water,
  • thick warm jelly,
  • unsweetened compotes.

Morning exploration

Typically, children are scheduled for a colonoscopy in the morning to avoid the serious stress of not having breakfast. Last appointment food must be served no later than 19.00 the previous evening.

The morning before the test, the child is given a cleansing enema or given Duphalac syrup. Laxatives such as Fortrans, Lavacol or Moviprep are not used due to the difficulty of drinking too much while using the product. In addition, these drugs cause nausea and cause severe vomiting in children.

In the evening, a cleansing enema is performed again and the baby is put to bed. For breakfast, it is better to drink warm jelly up to 400 ml to suppress the feeling of hunger.

Evening procedure

If the manipulation is scheduled for the afternoon or evening, then in the morning the child can be fed porridge, given a cracker and tea. The evening before the procedure, the intestines are cleansed with microenemas or Duphalac syrup is given. On the morning of the procedure, the cleansing procedure is repeated.

Regardless of the time of the procedure, the last dose of laxatives should be 5-6 hours before. Last intake of any semi-liquid food 4 hours before the test.

Before the manipulation, it is necessary to distract the child with interesting activities, reading, drawing. Also, it is important to set him up psychologically by rehearsing the upcoming procedure for some important task or game.

Progress of manipulation

To reduce the stress factor, parents are allowed to be near the child until anesthesia is administered. First, the young patient is undressed and placed on the couch.

Afterwards, doctors administer anesthesia and follow the further algorithm:

  1. Treating the probe and anus with an antiseptic, and then with Vaseline or contact gel to facilitate insertion;
  2. Air atmospheres are pumped to straighten the intestines;
  3. Inspect the intestinal cavities using optical equipment;
  4. Upon completion, remove the probe, release excess air, and treat the anus with an antiseptic.

During the course of the manipulations can be carried out healing procedures, associated with taking a biopsy for research, eliminating foci of bleeding, excision of hemorrhoids, if necessary, can be removed.

After the colonoscopy examination, the patient is transferred to the ward and removed from anesthesia. The child can be in the room with his parents. For several more days, the children are under the supervision of qualified personnel.

How long does the procedure take under anesthesia?

The total duration of the manipulation varies from 30 to 60 minutes. It all depends on the goals of diagnosis, the need for simultaneous treatment and other clinical aspects.

After a colonoscopy, it is important to recover from anesthesia. It is acceptable to drink water in small portions to avoid vomiting or severe nausea. A few hours after anesthesia you can eat. Usually children sleep all the time. The presence of parents is calming.

If the child is very restless, the behavior is accompanied by hysterics, then light sedatives. The next day, little patients usually fully recover and enjoy a stable psycho-emotional state.

After the procedure, it is important to monitor your stool. The first stool may occur 1-2 days after the manipulation, when the child is eating well. If necessary, enemas with an antiseptic can be prescribed to avoid inflammation. Usually, after a week, no consequences are observed from a colonoscopy under anesthesia.

Additional information about preparing children for colonoscopy in this video:

Colonoscopy in pediatrics is a highly accurate method for studying the condition of the intestines, organ mucous membranes, peristalsis and other important criteria for a complete digestive process. Strict adherence to everything medical recommendations allow for an accurate study with minimal diagnostic errors.

You can make an appointment with a doctor directly on our website.

Be healthy and happy!

Now exists a large number of bowel examination methods, however, is the most common and accurate. This method diagnostics makes it possible to minimum time analyze the condition of the intestines and find out the exact diagnosis of the patient. Pediatric colonoscopy is now also common, as children are also often exposed to intestinal diseases. Why children are susceptible to intestinal diseases is a separate question, but now let’s talk about colonoscopy for a child.

Description of the colonoscopy procedure

Colonoscopy for a child is endoscopic method, which is used to study the large intestine. To carry out this procedure, a colonoscope is used, which is a long probe with a built-in eyepiece, an air supply tube, illumination, and forceps for collecting histological material during examination.

Advanced colonoscopes have a built-in camera that allows you to take photographs of visible areas of the intestine and then display these images on a monitor. Reviewing the photo on a large screen makes it possible to examine in detail the mucous membrane and existing tumors on it.

Colonoscopy in children

A pediatric colonoscopy is no different from a routine procedure for adults. First, the colonoscope is inserted through the anus and advanced along the colon. Everything is done under the supervision of a doctor.

The video camera records all damage present in the lower section digestive tract. If necessary, the doctor takes tissue samples from different areas of the colon.

To reduce discomfort and pain, children are given a sedative intravenously during the procedure.
During the colonoscopy, the child should lie on his left side. The whole process takes no more than 30-45 minutes.

Upon completion of the colonoscopy, the child is monitored for 45 minutes until symptoms associated with the use cease. sedatives. Next, the doctor himself indicates the time when you can start eating and drinking liquids.

To make the examination more effective, you need to consult with your doctor about preparing for the procedure.

Which medical centers perform colonoscopies for children?

In Moscow you can find a large number of clinics, hospitals and medical centers where the procedure for examining the intestines of a child is carried out. however, the cost will vary. So in multidisciplinary medical center Premium Clinic the cost of the check will cost 3,000 rubles, and in the children's medical center - 2,600 rubles.

Do you know, ? We will tell you everything in detail.

See other signs of intestinal disease and their symptoms at this link

Indications for the procedure

WHO ( World Organization Health) recommends a colonoscopy procedure healthy person after 40 years, once every 5 years.
If any manifestations of indications or the presence of complaints are present, you must contact a colonoscopy immediately.

The following indications serve as a signal for examination:

  • Discharge of blood, mucus, pus from the large intestine;
  • Pain along the intestine;
  • Constipation, diarrhea and other bowel disorders;
  • Unreasonable weight loss of the patient, anemia, in particular if the family history is characterized by severe intestinal diseases;
  • There are suspicions of intestinal neoplasms during irrigoscopy;
  • Availability foreign body in the colon;
  • Tumors or polyps found during sigmoidoscopy. In this situation, colonoscopy is appropriate because it is necessary to eliminate such neoplasms in the upper parts of the large intestine, which cannot be examined with a proctoscope.

In some cases, it is important to turn to examination methods that can become an alternative to colonoscopy - contraindications may not allow it to be performed in some patients.

Existing contraindications

Colonoscopy cannot be performed in the following situations:

  • In the presence of acute infectious processes any localization;
  • For heart and pulmonary failure;
  • If blood clotting fails;
  • With intense exacerbation of ulcerative colitis;
  • With symptoms of peritonitis.

With these indications, there is a great risk for the patient’s condition, so colonoscopy can be replaced by some other type of examination.

Preparing for the examination

The entire accuracy of the information will depend on how well the patient prepared for the colonoscopy. Before the procedure, you must fulfill some requirements.

Three days before a colonoscopy, you should remove the following foods from your diet:

  • vegetables in any form;
  • fruits and berries (kiwi, grapes, currants, raspberries);
  • greenery;
  • mushrooms;
  • legumes (peas, beans);
  • seeds;
  • black bread;
  • milk;
  • nuts;
  • fish in sauce;
  • carbonated drinks;
  • various cereals;
  • sausage;
  • pasta.

It is also unacceptable to take medications that contain iron and activated carbon.

The diet for these three days should include the following foods:

  • boiled meat, poultry fillet, fish;
  • bouillon;
  • homemade cookies;
  • Tea coffee;
  • white bread crackers;
  • jelly, non-carbonated drinks, fruit juices without pulp.

If the patient is taking laxatives, it is worth continuing to take them, although a slight increase in their dose is acceptable.

Immediately on the day before the examination, it is important to do household chores, some exercise, a little physical activity. Consume exclusively liquid foods (strained broths, all juices except purple and red ones). The amount of drinking is not limited.

Conclusion

To perform a pediatric colonoscopy, you should contact the most the best clinic to experienced specialists, since the body is very young and a qualified health worker in this field is needed. The disease itself can have very serious consequences, and therefore you should not hesitate, but immediately seek help. Regarding the price of this procedure, it is worth saying that depending on the location and status of the medical institution, it will be different.