A major concern for many parents as the mother approaches full term  is the complications that may arise after delivery,  particularly breathing problems that may affect the newborn. At birth, the focus of the attending physician is to assure healthy and spontaneous breathing of the newborn as any impediment may result in damage to the brain tissue or even death.

However in certain cases, problems with adequate ventilation may arise, especially in high risk pregnancies.

continue reading Newborn Breathing Problems (Birth Asphyxia) Neonatal

Upper GI Endoscopy = Esophago-Gastro-Duodenoscopy (EGD)

Upper gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy is a diagnostic procedure enabling your doctor to see inside your esophagus, stomach and duodenum (the first part of the small intestine), using a flexible viewing tube – gastroscope. Gastroscope has a light and camera on the end and enables direct observing, viewing on the monitor and taking pictures or videos.

When Is Upper Endoscopy Done?

Upper endoscopy may be used to find a cause of unexplained excessive belching, nausea, vomiting, heartburn, difficulty swallowing, upper abdominal pain, anemia (due to bleeding), poor appetite or unintended weight loss. With an upper endoscopy a doctor can detect:

continue reading Upper Endoscopy (Gastroscopy) Procedure, Video, Pictures, Cost

Plain X-Ray

In severe acute abdominal pain, plain X-ray of the abdomen is usually the first investigation. X-ray can show:

• Kidney stones
• Gallstones (if they are large and calcified)
• Pancreatic calcifications (in pancreatic cyst or chronic pancreatitis)
• Air under the diaphragm (in stomach or bowel perforation)
• Air in the bowel (in bowel obstruction)

No preparation is needed for the investigation. There are no absolute contraindications, but, if possible, abdominal X-ray should be avoided in females until the end of reproduction period and pregnant women to prevent radiation exposure.

continue reading Diagnostic Imaging of the Abdomen: X-Ray, Ultrasound, CT, MRI

Intestinal Absorption Tests

Chronic abdominal bloating and gas, diarrhea or unintentional weight loss (malabsorption syndrome) may result from reduced absorption of nutrients in the small intestine due to:

• Lactose intolerance.
• Fructose malabsorption.
• Food allergies and food intolerances (Tests)
• Food poisoning, parasites, Crohn’s Disease (stool analysis and blood work results)
• Glucose or galactose malabsorption
• Fat malabsorption. Fecal fat test, D-xylose test
• Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). Test
• Short bowel syndrome (SBS). Test

Tests for Lactose Intolerance

When you suspect dairy products cause chronic bloating and diarrhea you have, you may ask your gastroenterologist to perform hydrogen breath test. Test is described in food allergy and food intolerance tests.

continue reading Tests in Chronic Diarrhea and Bloating

Hemosiderosis is a chronic iron overload or excess iron levels in body tissues, either throughout the body or only in specific tissues and organs. If this chronic overload begins to cause tissue damage, it is known as hemochromatosis or commonly referred to as iron toxicity.

Iron is an abundant element in the human body and in conjunction with proteins, it forms hemoglobin, an essential compound in red blood cells that is responsible for gas transport (oxygen and carbon dioxide) in the blood. However excess iron intake or abnormal iron deposition can cause an iron overload (hemosiderosis) and eventual iron toxicity (hemochromatosis) if not attended to in the acute stages.

continue reading Excess Iron (Poisoning, Overload, Toxicity) in Blood