Upper GI Exam

Tests such as this are vitally important to diagnose and help manage your child's health problems. The radiologist will interpret the exam and report the findings to your doctor. You may discuss the results with your doctor.

Please feel free to ask the technologist or radiologist about any part of the test you don't understand. Presbyterian has the best interest of your child at heart, and we want to be sure that all your questions are answered.

How Should I Prepare for This Test?

To prepare for the test, be sure your child has nothing to eat after midnight, not even water. Your child's stomach needs to be empty for the exam. He or she can eat right after the test is completed.

What Will Happen During the Test?

First, your child will be asked to drink a cup of barium solution (the solution is flavored to help make it easier to drink; however, it is a little chalky tasting). Barium is a kind of dye that shows up in X-rays so that doctors can see the gastrointestinal tract better. Infants may drink the solution from a bottle.

While your child drinks, the radiologist will watch with a machine called a fluoroscope. Your child will be turned from side to side, and the radiologist may press down gently on your child's stomach to get a better view. The technologist will also take a series of X-ray films for the radiologist to review. The amount of radiation your child receives will not endanger his or her health.

Your child will need to be still while the images are being made. If agitated, he or she may need to be restrained. In most cases, one or both parents are allowed to stay in the examining room with the child or watch from behind a screen if they want to. Occasionally, the radiologist may feel it's in the best interest of the child that only medical personnel be in attendance.

How Long Will the Test Last?

The exam should take about 20 minutes if your doctor only wants to examine the upper gastrointestinal tract. If your doctor wants to see the entire small bowel also, the exam could take two hours or more, since it may take that long for the barium to pass all the way through the small bowel.

What Should I Expect After the Test?

Barium sometimes causes constipation in children. Giving your child extra fluids or a mild laxative after the test can prevent it. Your child's bowel movement will probably look white for a day or two, which is normal.