An Experience of Pediatric Upper and Lower Gastrointestinal Endoscopy in a Tertiary Center

Background Although upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and colonoscopy is considered to be a gold standard in the diagnosis of many pediatric gastrointestinal disorders, there is limited data about its utility from our country. This important diagnostic tool is underutilized. Objective The objective of this study is to report the common indications, endoscopic findings and complications of pediatric upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and colonoscopy in a tertiary center to increase awareness amongst pediatricians. Methods This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in children undergoing upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and colonoscopy for various indications in a tertiary center from November 2014 to October 2016 (24 months). Results We performed 192 endoscopies during this period. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy 158 and Colonoscopy 34. Mean age of patients was 10.2 years (range 6 months to 16 years) and 140(72.9%) patients were under 10 years of age. Common indications of UGI endoscopy were recurrent abdominal pain (67%), acute abdominal pain (12.6%), recurrent vomiting (8.0%), upper GI bleed (4.4%), failure to thrive (3.1%) and caustic ingestion (2.5%). An abnormality was detected in 128(81%) patients. Antral gastritis (55%) was the most common diagnosis. Thirty two percent of children with RAP had chronic moderate to severe gastritis and were positive for H. pylori in Giemsa stain on histopathological examination. Common indications of colonoscopy were Lower GI bleed and chronic diarrhea. Out of 22 patients who underwent colonoscopy for lower GI bleed, 18(82%) patients had rectal polyp and underwent snare polypectomy. Out of 12 patients who were evaluated for chronic diarrhea, 7(20%) were diagnosed to have cow's milk protein allergy and 5(15%) patients had inflammatory bowel disease. An abnormality was detected in 30(88%) patients. All children received sedation/ analgesia and tolerated the procedure well. Conclusion Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and colonoscopy are safe procedure in children. The awareness about its diagnostic and therapeutic role should be raised amongst pediatricians in developing countries. There is also a need to develop training programs of pediatric gastroenterology and pediatric endoscopic suites in developing countries so that children may benefit from this state of the art diagnostic modality.