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Indications and contraindications for gastric endoscopy
Last reviewed: 06.07.2025
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Indications for gastric endoscopy
Diagnostic indications for gastric endoscopy: clarification of the localization of the process; visual examination of pathological changes revealed during the examination, clarification of their prevalence; monitoring the effectiveness of treatment (both conservative and surgical); differential diagnostics of diseases of the stomach and duodenum; establishing the nature of pyloroduodenal stenosis (organic or functional); biopsy of the affected areas (gastric ulcers, filling defects, neoplasms); detection of changes in the stomach that may affect the choice of a rational method of surgical treatment.
Therapeutic indications for gastric endoscopy: removal of foreign bodies, small tumors of the stomach; stopping bleeding.
Contraindications to gastric endoscopy
Absolute contraindications to gastric endoscopy: shock, acute cerebrovascular and coronary circulatory disorders, epileptic seizures, asthma attacks, atlantoaxial subluxation, esophageal diseases that make it impossible to pass an endoscope into the stomach or that there is an increased risk of perforation (esophageal burn, cicatricial stricture, etc.).
Relative contraindications to gastric endoscopy should be considered depending on the expected positive results; such contraindications include the patient's reluctance to undergo endoscopy, coma (unless the patient is intubated), coagulopathy, Zenker's diverticulum, ischemic heart disease, thoracic aortic aneurysm, hypertensive crisis, acute inflammatory diseases of the mouth or nasopharynx, respiratory organs, and the general severe condition of the patient due to the presence of concomitant diseases.
It should be noted that if the patient has a disease that poses a direct threat to life, endoscopy is absolutely justified. Thus, gastroduodenoscopy should be performed even on a patient with myocardial infarction or acute cerebrovascular accident when gastrointestinal bleeding occurs, both to identify the cause and extent of bleeding and to stop it.
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