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Routine coagulation screening in children undergoing gastrointestinal endoscopy does not predict those at risk of
E Giles1, E Walton-Salih, N Shah
1Department of Gastroenterology, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Sick Children NHS Trust, London, United Kingdom.
Endoscopy
|June 13, 2006
Summary
Routine coagulation screening before pediatric gastrointestinal endoscopy is not beneficial and does not predict bleeding risk. This practice is common in the UK but should be reserved for high-risk children only.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Gastroenterology
- Clinical Pathology
Background:
- Routine coagulation screening before pediatric gastrointestinal endoscopy is common in the UK.
- There is a lack of evidence supporting this practice.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the benefits of routine pre-endoscopy coagulation screening in children.
- To determine the prevalence of this practice in UK pediatric centers.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 250 pediatric endoscopy cases with coagulation screening.
- Telephone survey of 23 UK pediatric gastroenterology centers regarding their screening protocols.
Main Results:
- 16.8% of children had abnormal clotting results, which were not clinically significant or linked to increased bleeding.
- 21.7% of surveyed UK pediatric centers routinely screen for coagulation prior to endoscopy.
Conclusions:
- Routine coagulation screening is not indicated for children undergoing gastrointestinal endoscopy and biopsy.
- The practice does not identify children at risk of significant bleeding and should be reserved for high-risk individuals.