tests for anaemia..

[looobylooo]

my dad (66) has recently been told by the hospital that he might be anaemic, and after tests theyve not been able to find the cause, so hes going to be called in to have a camera down his throat and one up his bottom, so they can investigate...
have we any reason to be concerned that theyre needing to do this this please?
thanks

(hes on lots of heart medication, (has a defib fitted in his chest) and is taking warfarin and asprin)

[Sqad]

If he is anaemic and depending upon what type of anaemia it is....then he is losing blood somewhere. The likeliest place is in the stomach and lower gastro intestinal tract.

Should you be concerned?.......of course you should until the source of the anaemia and bleeding is found.

[looobylooo]

ok, thanks sqad.
i wasnt being flippant when i asked should we be concerned. of course we are.
i meant it more in the way of asking is the investigation using a camera a common routine procedure, or do they go down that route when its a more serious case..

[Sqad]

looby....I know you weren´t being flippant.

It is a routine procedure.

[looobylooo]

ok, thanks again sqad,
fingers crossed he will be ok then ...

[carlton23]

I agree with the lovely looobs, as I used to have it done annually due to a gut disorder.

[Scylax]

The procedure is known as an OGD: oesopghago-gastro-duodenoscopy. It's a routine and obvious test, esp. for anyone on aspirin or Warfarin, as both are known to produce intestinal bleeds.

[Sqad]

scylax....but what about the one "up his bottom?"

[Scylax]

This could be a sigmoidoscopy, using an endoscope to view the lower third of the colon,but it is much more likely to be a colonoscopy, where the whole colon (bowel) is viewed, since growths are more likely to occur in the ascending colon, on the right side of the abdomen. In either case, no anaesthetic is required because the colon has no sensory nerves. Both procedures are simple and take only minutes.

[Sqad]

scylax......we have now examined the stomach, duodenum and colon.......so all we are left with now is 20 feet or so of small bowel unexamined.........what next?

[sammmo]

Con't they do these sort of tests by getting the patient to swallow a "tablet" that has a camera in it..

[Sqad]

sammo....quite correct.

[Scylax]

If the upper and lower G.I. tracts are OK, then a barium meal should reveal lesions in the small intestine.

What's all this about a 'Camera pill' to be swallowed ? Never heard of it. If it is a movie camera, it will require a largish pill I'm thinking.