The following is a summary of “Pre-endoscopy Symptoms and Age, But Not Esophageal Biopsy Number Are Associated With Post-endoscopy Adverse Events” published in the November 2022 issue of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition by Wenzel et al.
Esophagogastroduodenoscopy, more commonly abbreviated to EGD, is an investigational method that is extensively used in the treatment of gastrointestinal problems in children. Biopsies taken during an EGD have the potential to cause post-operative adverse events (AEs). It is essential to gain a deeper understanding of this risk to give families the opportunity to give informed permission and ensure patient treatment safety.
In particular, the influence of the number of biopsies taken and their location on adverse events has not been researched in pediatric patients. Researchers conducted a prospective assessment for AEs using a telephone survey 3–7 days after performing 209 EGDs on patients ranging in age from 1–21 years old during the course of 1 year. Data collection included endoscopic examination as well as demographic information.
The most often experienced symptoms were a pain in the throat (61%), chest pain (26%), and difficulty swallowing (26%). Age and the presence or absence of pre-operative symptoms were found to be significant factors in binary regression models that predicted the risk of post-operative morbidity. The number of biopsies taken from 3 different areas of the esophagus had no effect on the probability of post-operative adverse events.
Source: journals.lww.com/jpgn/Abstract/2022/11000/Pre_endoscopy_Symptoms_and_Age,_But_Not_Esophageal.20.aspx
