EGD - esophagogastroduodenoscopy

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Gastric endoscopy

Overview

Risks

Results

EGD - esophagogastroduodenoscopy

Alternative Names:

Esophagogastroduodenoscopy; Upper endoscopy; Gastroscopy

What the risks are:

There is a small chance of perforation (hole) of the stomach, duodenum, or esophagus; There is also a small risk of bleeding at the biopsy site. A patient could have an adverse reaction to the anesthetic, medication, or tranquilizer. This reaction could cause:

Respiratory depression (difficulty breathing)
Apnea (not breathing)
Hypotension (low blood pressure)
Excessive sweating
Bradycardia
Laryngospasm (spasm of the larynx)

The overall risk is less than 1 out of 1,000 people.

Special considerations:

If any of these conditions arise after the test, contact the health care provider:

Difficulty swallowing
Pain
Fever
Black stools
Blood in vomit

Review Date: 5/8/2006
Reviewed By: Jenifer K. Lehrer, MD, Department of Gastroenterology, Frankford-Torresdale Hospital, Jefferson Health System, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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