Discharge information following Gastroscopy

Surgical Day Case

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Discharge Information following Gastroscopy (251kB pdf)

Introduction

Your child has had a gastroscopy today and this leaflet aims to provide you with general information for when you get home.

Following your child’s General Anaesthetic most children appear to be alert and active after they are discharged from hospital. However do not be surprised if your child complains of feeling dizzy or being tired.  Your child may feel dizzy and unco-ordinated for the next couple of days.

For the next 24 hours

• You should encourage your child to rest.
• You should make sure your child’s activities are supervised by a responsible adult.
• Do not let your child ride a bike.
• Do not let your child take part in outdoor activities.
• Do not give your child fizzy drinks.
• Do not give your child hard food to digest foods such as chips, burgers.

Your child may experience a sore throat, hoarseness, muscle ache or pain following an anaesthetic.  You can give your child Ibuprofen or Paracetamol, unless you are told otherwise by a doctor or discharging nurse.  Do not exceed the recommend dosage for your child’s age.

All advice regarding medicines will be given to you when your child is discharged

What to do if your child start to vomit

If your child vomits on the way home or when you get home, do not be alarmed.  Do not give your child anything to eat or drink for one hour.  After that you can start giving your child a small amount of water or juice.  Then gradually start to increase the amount of fluid you give to your child.  Once your child can keep fluids down you can begin to give them a light diet.

If the vomiting continues please contact your GP out of hours telephone number or your nearest Accident & Emergency Department

Minor symptoms your child may experience following their gastroscopy

Your child may experience a sore throat.  It will usually pass after a few hours but may last a few days.

If your child has a stomach ache it is most likely due to the air inflated into their stomach during the procedure.  This will pass within a few hours.

Serious symptoms you child may experience following their gastroscopy

Please take your child to the nearest Accident & Emergency Department if:

• Your child has severe pain
• Your child feels very unwell (and you would like advice.)

You must seek advice from the Accident & Emergency Department if you suspect any of the above serious symptoms.

Who to contact for further information

For minor post procedure symptoms you can get advice from:  

Surgical Day Care     0151 252 5557 / 0151 282 4509     Monday to Friday 0700-2000 

Out of hours contact:   Ward  3C  0151 252 5701    24 hour

This leaflet only gives general information. You must always discuss the individual treatment of your child with the appropriate member of staff. Do not rely on this leaflet alone for information about your child’s treatment.

This information can be made available in other languages and formats if requested.

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