What is a stool acidity test? Readers Comments 1 Share Your Story The stool acidity test is a test for diagnosing intolerance to lactose, the sugar contained in milk, in infants and very young children. What is lactose intolerance? Lactose intolerance is the inability to digest the lactose sugar in milk. Milk containing the sugar...
Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy facts Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy is a procedure that allows nutritional support for patients who cannot take food orally. Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy involves placement of a tube through the abdominal wall and into the stomach through which nutritional liquids can be infused. Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy is a surgical procedure; however, it does not...
What is Gilbert syndrome? Gilbert Syndrome is a common, harmless genetic condition in which a liver enzyme essential to the disposal of bilirubin (the chemical that results from the normal breakdown of hemoglobin from red blood cells) is abnormal. The condition has also been referred to as constitutional hepatic dysfunction and familial nonhemolytic jaundice. The...
What is flexible sigmoidoscopy? Flexible sigmoidoscopy is a procedure that allows your doctor to examine the rectum and the lower (sigmoid) colon. The flexible sigmoidoscope is a flexible tube 60 cm long and about the thickness of your little finger. It is inserted gently into the anus and advanced slowly into the rectum and the...
What is esophageal pH monitoring? Esophageal pH (pH is a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution) monitoring is a procedure for measuring the reflux (regurgitation or backwash) of acid from the stomach into the esophagus that occurs in gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). When is esophageal pH monitoring used? Readers Comments 1 Share...
What is a fecal occult blood test? Fecal occult blood testing (FOBT) is testing that is performed on samples of stool in order to detect occult blood (blood that is not visible to the naked eye) in otherwise normal-colored stool. Fecal occult blood usually is a result of slow (often intermittent) bleeding from inside the...
What is Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS)? Share Your Story Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS) combines endoscopy and ultrasound in order to obtain images and information about the digestive tract and the surrounding tissue and organs. Endoscopy refers to the procedure of inserting a long flexible tube via the mouth or the rectum to visualize the digestive tract (for...
What is esophageal manometry? Esophageal manometry is a procedure for determining how the muscles of the esophagus and the sphincter (valve) works by measuring pressures (manometry) generated by the esophageal muscles and the sphincter. When is esophageal manometry used? Readers Comments 35 Share Your Story Esophageal manometry is used primarily in three situations: To evaluate...
Introduction to Bleeding Varices Varices are dilated blood vessels usually in the esophagus or stomach. They cause no symptoms unless they rupture and bleed. Bleeding from varices is a life-threatening complication of portal hypertension. Portal hypertension is an increase in the pressure within the portal vein (the vein that carries blood from the digestive organs...