Sonographic upper gastrointestinal series in the vomiting infant: how we do it

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Gastric Point of Care Ultrasound in Adults: Image Acquisition and Interpretation
05:50

Gastric Point of Care Ultrasound in Adults: Image Acquisition and Interpretation

Published on: September 22, 2023

Thaddeus W Herliczek1, Deepak Raghavan, Kathleen McCarten

  • 1Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Warren Alpert School of Medicine, Brown University, RI, USA.

Journal of Clinical Imaging Science
|October 4, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Sonography is a versatile tool for evaluating infant vomiting. This study shows ultrasound can effectively diagnose both nonbilious and bilious emesis in infants, improving diagnostic capabilities.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric imaging
  • Gastroenterology
  • Diagnostic ultrasound

Background:

  • Nonbilious projectile emesis is typically evaluated with sonography (ultrasound).
  • Bilious emesis in infants traditionally requires a fluoroscopic upper gastrointestinal (UGI) series.
  • There is a need for efficient and comprehensive imaging techniques for infant emesis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To illustrate the technique of using sonographic UGI series for evaluating infant emesis.
  • To demonstrate the application of sonographic UGI series for both nonbilious and bilious emesis.
  • To present the results of sonographic UGI series for normal anatomy and common pathologies.

Main Methods:

  • Routine use of sonographic UGI series for infants presenting with nonbilious emesis.
  • Application of sonographic UGI series for infants presenting with bilious emesis.
  • Detailed illustration of the sonographic technique and interpretation.

Main Results:

  • Sonography successfully assesses normal upper gastrointestinal anatomy in infants.
  • Common pathologies causing infant emesis are identifiable using sonographic UGI series.
  • The technique provides reliable diagnostic information for both types of emesis.

Conclusions:

  • Sonographic UGI series is a valuable and effective method for evaluating infants with both nonbilious and bilious emesis.
  • This technique can potentially replace or supplement traditional fluoroscopic methods.
  • Sonography offers a comprehensive approach to diagnosing the causes of infant vomiting.

Keywords:
Malrotationhypertrophic pyloric stenosispediatricsonographic UGIultrasound

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