Abstract
Fiberoptic, upper gastrointestial endoscopy has become an accepted diagnostic technique in small infants and newborns. We have experienced the anesthesia for 14 upper gastrointestinal endoscopies in the newborns who had gastrointestinal hemorrhage or recurrent vomiting.
Most of these newbowns had the problems of full stomach, anemia, hypovolemia, and hyperbilirubinemia. Fiberscope could easily compress the trachea, and the respiration might be compromised by inflating air into the stomach. No complications were encountered in this series and all subsequent clinical courses were uneventful.
We believe general anesthesia with controlled ventilation is the safest procedure for this examination.
