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Endoscopy
What is an Endoscopy?
Endoscopy is a test that takes pictures of your esophagus, stomach and small intestine. These 3 areas are also known as your digestive tract. Scopy means a scope, this helps the doctor to find things, it uses a tiny camera with a light that looks around and takes pictures.
Important Words
- Esophagus: a tube or pipe inside your body that moves food from the back of your throat to your stomach
- Stomach: is attached to your esophagus. This is where the food goes after you have swallowed it
- Small Intestine:Â breaks down the food you have eaten so that your body can absorb the good parts in food that give you energy and make you grow (like vitamins, protein and carbohydrates)
Why do I need to have an Endoscopy?
The doctor needs to see inside your esophagus, stomach and small intestine to see how it is working and to find out what they need to do to help you. An X-Ray cannot see inside these body parts, so an endoscopy has to be done.
What does an Endoscopy look like?
An endoscopy has a tiny video camera (scope) and a light at the end of a small very flexible tube, there is also a computer and TV screen. The light helps the doctor to see inside your body.  The video camera can take a video or pictures of inside your esophagus, stomach and small intestine. These pictures will help the doctor to see what is happening inside your body. There is also a bed that is beside the computer where you will lie down.
What happens when I have an Endoscopy?
A porter will come to bring you to the special room to have the endoscopy. Â A nurse and gastroenterologist (a doctor who is the expert about your digestive tract) will greet you and explain what will happen.
The nurse will give you a gown to wear, this looks like a backward housecoat, you may already be wearing one. The nurse will help you to get on the bed, she will also tell you to lie on your left side; this is the best way for you to lie down for the test. The nurse may put a blanket over you to keep you warm and make sure you are covered. The nurse will also put a plastic clip onto your finger. This clip does not hurt and it glows red. This clip is called an oximeter and it measures how much oxygen you have in your blood. You will also have a blood pressure cuff put on your arm to measure how fast or slow your blood is moving around your body. The blood pressure cuff will go on and give your arm a little squeeze and then off, relaxing it. This happens a few times during the test.
The nurse will spray a special medicine in your throat, this medicine helps the sides and back of you throat to feel numb so that you will not really feel the tube in you throat.
The doctor will put on hospital gloves. Then he will take the scope and he will place it gently into your mouth and slide it down your esophagus to your stomach. As it is sliding down your esophagus, the doctor will ask you to swallow. You may feel that this is hard, but it will help the tube to go down so that the pictures can be taken. This will feel uncomfortable, but the test will not last long, usually it can be 5 minutes to 15 minutes.
While the doctor is looking in your esophagus and stomach, he will also be taking pictures of it. He may also take a tiny piece of it to look at it more closely, this is called a biopsy. It is important to remember to relax and lie still. Once the test is done, the scope will be removed.
Someone like your mom or dad can stay in the room with you during the test. When it is over, you will rest for a little while and then you will be brought back to your room.
What will the Endoscopy feel like?
The endoscopy will feel uncomfortable when the scope first goes into your mouth and starts to go down your throat. You may feel like you have something stuck in your throat or that you might throw up.
Since the tube is so small, you will still be able to breathe normally. All these feelings are normal, this happens to everyone who has this test. Remember that you will be feeling sleepy during the test..
Preparing for the test
Your nurse will give you the information you need to help you get ready to have your endoscopy. You will be told that you will not be able to eat or drink anything before the test.
Remember
If you have any questions about the test, always ask!
This content has been reviewed and approved by health care team members at McMaster Children’s Hospital in Hamilton, Ontario. All content is for educational purposes only. For further information, please speak with your health care team.
ECG or EKG (Electrocardiogram)
What is an EKG or ECGÂ (Electrocardiogram)?
An EKG is the short way of saying electrocardiogram. The electrocardiogram takes pictures of the electrical activity of your heart and around your body. As your heart works it sends electrical signals around your body. The EKG machine uses these electrical signals to create an electrocardiogram, a picture of your heart activity. The picture can show the doctor how fast your heart beats, and the rhythm (heart beat pattern) of your heart. No matter what you are doing, whether you are running, reading or sleeping, your heart is always working and sending electrical signals.
Why do I need to have an EKG?
When the doctor wants to see how your heart is working, special pictures need to be taken. The EKG takes pictures of the electrical activity in your heart and around your body. It helps the doctor to see how your heart is working, how fast it is beating and the rhythm (heart beat pattern) it makes.
What does an EKG machine look like?Â
An EKG is a computer that has lots of wires attached to it. It also has a printer attached to it. The wires have a sticky soft tape end that attaches to your chest, arms and legs. There is a bed that is beside the EKG computer, this is where you will lie down. The picture of how your heart beats is printed off to show the doctor.
What happens when I have an EKG?
A porter will come and bring you to the area where you will have the EKG. Sometimes the technologist (the person who will take the pictures) can come to your room to do this test. A technologist will greet you and explain what will happen. You may be given a gown to wear, this looks like a backward housecoat, or you may already be wearing one.
The technologist will ask you to lie down on a bed. She will then use the wires that are attached to the machine and place them on your chest, arms and legs. Small sticky soft pieces of tape are first placed on your chest, arms and legs. The wires called electrodes are then attached to the tape; they measure the electrical signals in your heart. Only the tape touches your skin, the wires do not.
It is important to lie very still on the bed while the test is happening. The test only takes a few minutes. Once it is done, the technologist will remove the soft tape from your chest, arms and legs, and you are able to go back to your room.
What will the EKG test feel like?
An electrocardiogram does not hurt. The tape is a special gentle tape that is less sticky than a regular Band-Aid. All you have to do is to remember to lie still, so that the pictures they take are clear.
Preparing for the test
Your nurse will give you the information you need to help you get ready to have your EKG. There is nothing that you really have to do to get ready for this test.
Remember
If you have any questions about the test, always ask!
Echocardiogram
What is an Echocardiogram?
Echo is the short way of saying echocardiogram. An echo is another test that lets doctors see inside your body.  The echo is special since it only takes pictures of your heart. It can show the shape and size of your heart. Just like the name, the echo uses sound waves to take the pictures; it bounces invisible sound waves off of your heart to create a picture of what it looks like. You will not feel or hear these sound waves in your body.
Why do I need to have an Echo?
The doctor needs to see a picture of your heart and the best way to take the picture is to use the echo machine. A regular X-Ray cannot see the heart, so an echo has to be used.
What does an Echo look like?
An echo machine looks like a computer. The technologist (the person taking the picture) uses a smooth flat wand and a special gel to take the picture. The gel and wand lets the computer hear the sound waves from your heart. Once the pictures have been taken, they are printed and shown to the radiologist. He is a special doctor who looks at the pictures.
What happens when I have an Echo?
A porter will come to bring you to the special room to have the echo. Â A technologist (the person who will take the pictures) will greet you and explain what will happen.
The technologist will give you a gown to wear, this looks like a backward housecoat, you may already be wearing one. You will lie down on a bed beside the computer. The technologist usually turns the lights down so that they can see the pictures on the computer better. Next the technologist will put gel on your chest over the area where your heart is. He or she will move the smooth, flat wand on your skin where the gel is. The wand is attached to the computer. While the technologist moves the wand over your chest, you will be able to see a wavy and fuzzy image on the screen.  While the technologist is moving the wand, he or she will also be touching buttons on the computer keyboard.
It is important to remember to stay still, if you move a lot, the picture will not be clear and the test will take longer. The test is usually short and takes about 15-30 minutes. Once the pictures are done, they will be printed off to show the doctor. The technologist will wipe the gel off with a soft towel and then you will be able to go back to your room.
What will the Echo feel like?
The echo will not hurt. The gel may feel a little cool and sticky.  The wand may press down onto your skin a little bit, but it will not hurt. Remember to lie still so that the technologist can get a clear picture. Thinking about your favourite thing to do may help you stay still.
Preparing for the test
Your nurse will give you the information you need to help you get ready to have your echo. Sometimes you may have to do nothing to get ready.
Remember
If you have any questions about the test, always ask!
This content has been reviewed and approved by health care team members at McMaster Children’s Hospital in Hamilton, Ontario. All content is for educational purposes only. For further information, please speak with your health care team.
EEG
What is an EEG?
EEG is the short way of saying electroencephalogram.  In your brain there are electrical signals being passed around. These signals are called brain waves. The EEG machine measures your brain waves and records them on the computer.  The picture looks like wavy lines on the computer screen. No matter what you are doing, whether you are running, reading or sleeping, your brain always has brain waves. The EEG measures these brain waves and shows where they are in your brain and how big the waves are.
Why do I need to have an EEG?
The most common reason people have an EEG is when someone has a seizure or epilepsy, although there may be other reasons. If you are having an EEG, the doctor wants to know what is happening in your brain, and an EEG can help. The EEG measures the brain waves in your brain; it helps the doctor to see how your brain is working and where in the brain the problem is.   This helps the doctor decide what is the best medicine or treatment for you.
What does an EEG machine look like?
An EEG is a computer that has lots of wires attached to it. The wires have a sticky end that attaches to your head.  There is a bed that is beside the EEG computer, this is where you will lie down.
What happens when I have an EEG?
A porter will come and bring you to the area where you will have the EEG. A technologist (the person who does the test) will greet you and explain what will happen.  You may be given a gown to wear, this looks like a backward housecoat, or you may already be wearing one.
The technologist will ask you to lie down on a bed. She will then take the wires that are attached to the machine and place them on your head. The technologist will use a sticky soft tape and gel to help the wires stay in place. These wires are called electrodes; they measure your brain waves.
It is important to lie very still on the bed while the test is happening. Sometimes they will ask you to try to fall asleep so that they can see what your brain does when you are resting. They may also ask you to rest with your eyes open or closed, take breaths really fast or look at a flashing light. The test can take about 45 minutes. When the test is done, the technologist will remove the wires from your head and wipe off the sticky gel.
What will the EEG test feel like?
An electroencephalogram does not hurt. The gel might feel a little cold. The tape is a special gentle tape that is less sticky than a regular Band-Aid.  While the test is going on you will be able to see your brain waves on the computer screen.
Preparing for the test
Your nurse will give you the information you need to help you get ready to have your EEG.
Remember
If you have any questions about the test, always ask!
This content has been reviewed and approved by health care team members at McMaster Children’s Hospital in Hamilton, Ontario. All content is for educational purposes only. For further information, please speak with your health care team.
CT Scan
What is a CT Scan?
C.T. scan is the short way of saying Computerized Axial Tomography. This test is sometimes also called a CAT Scan. The CT scan uses a special kind of x-ray and a computer to see inside your body. It takes pictures of things that a regular x-ray can not see.
What does the CT machine look like?
The CT is a large machine with a big opening in the middle, like the hole in a donut. The machine has a camera inside. You lie on a narrow bed and the bed moves into the donut hole until the part of your body that the doctor wants pictures of is under the camera. As the machine takes pictures of those parts of your body the bed will move a bit further into the ?donut hole.? It makes buzzing and clicking sounds. The machine does not touch you. After the CT scan is done, the bed moves out of the hole. The technologist will help you off the bed, and you will be brought back to your room.
What happens when I have the CT Scan?
A porter will come and bring you to the area where you will have the CT scan. A technologist (the person who will take the pictures) will greet you and explain what will happen.
You will then get on a bed that moves in and out of the ?donut hole.? Depending on what area the doctor wants pictures of, you may need to be given a contrast. Contrast is a special liquid that will help to highlight the area the doctor wants to see, it will make it look bright in the pictures. The contrast has to go into an IV. You may already have one, if you do not have one, you will need to have an IV. The IV is a small straw that goes into the vein usually in your hand. This is the quickest way to get the highlighter into your body. You will feel a pinch from the poke of the IV, and it may hurt a little. When they put the contrast into the IV, you may feel a cool or stinging sensation from the contrast going in. The technologist will then get you set up on the bed. Once you are ready, the technologist will leave the room and watch you through a window. This is were they will be taking the pictures from. They will still be able to hear and see you, and you will be able to hear them talk to you. Sometimes, someone like a family member can stay with you during the test. They will have to wear a special heavy lead vest. This is for safety reasons.
The technologist might talk to you through a speaker in the next room. You will hear their voice telling you when to hold your breath for a few seconds, when to breathe and when you are finished the test.
What will it feel like?
Having a CT does not hurt. You need to lie very still so the picture won?t be fuzzy. If you are moving a lot they will have to retake the pictures.  This will make the test much longer then it has to be. Usually it takes about 30 mins for a CT scan, this also depends on what area of your body is being looked at. It might help to pass the time if you think about your favourite things or count in your head.
Preparing for the test.
Your nurse will give you the information you need to help you get ready to have your CT scan. Depending on what they are taking a picture of sometimes you will not be allowed to eat or drink anything.
Sometimes you may be given a medicine to help you relax if you have a hard time lying still.
Remember
If you have any questions about the test, always ask!
Click below to watch a video about coming to Sickkids for a CT Scan
All content is for educational purposes only. For further information, please speak with your health care team.
Colonoscopy
What is a Colonsocopy?
Colonoscopy is a test that takes pictures of your large intestine. The test is called a colonoscopy because colon means your large intestine and scopy means a scope (a tiny camera that looks around and takes pictures). The colon is very large and it has names for its different parts.
Why do I need to have a Colonoscopy?
The doctor needs to see inside your large intestine (colon) to see how it is working and to find out what they need to do to help you. An X-Ray cannot see inside the large intestine, so a colonoscopy has to be done.
What does a Colonoscopy look like?
A colonoscopy has a tiny video camera (scope) and a light at the end of a small very flexible (bendy) tube; there is also a computer and TV screen that is used.  The light helps the doctor see in your colon. The video camera can take a video or pictures of inside your large intestine (colon). This will help the doctor to see what is happening inside your body. There is also a bed that is beside the computer where you will lie down.
What happens when I have a Colonoscopy?
A porter will come to bring you to the special room to have the colonoscopy. Â A nurse and gastroenterologist (a doctor who is the expert about intestines) will greet you and explain what will happen.
The nurse will give you a gown to wear, this looks like a backward housecoat, you may already be wearing one. The nurse will help you to get on the bed; she will also tell you to lie on your left side. This is the best way for you to lie down for the test. The nurse will put a blanket over you to keep you warm and make sure you are covered up. The nurse will also put a plastic clip onto your finger. This clip does not hurt and it glows red. This clip is called an Oximeter and it measures how much oxygen you have in your blood. You will also have a blood pressure cuff put on your arm to measure how fast or slow your blood is moving around your body. The blood pressure cuff will go on and give your arm a little squeeze and then off, relaxing it. This happens a few times during the test.
The doctor will put on hospital gloves. Then he will take the scope and he will place it gently into the opening in your bum (this is also called an anus). The scope goes into your bum because that is where the large intestine is; it ends at your bum.
While the doctor is looking in your large intestine, he will also be taking pictures of it. He may also take a tiny piece of the large intestine to look at it more closely, this is called a biopsy. It is important to remember to relax and lie still. Once the test is done, the scope will be removed.
Someone like your mom or dad can stay in the room with you during the test. The test can take about 45 minutes to complete. When it is over, you will rest for a little while and then you will be brought back to your room.
Click here to check out a colonoscopy booklet created by Windsor Regional Hospital
http://www.wrh.on.ca/webbuild/site/wrh-internet-upload/file_collection/Colonoscopy%20booklet.pdf
What will the Colonoscopy feel like?
The colonoscopy will feel uncomfortable when the scope first goes into your bum. You may feel pressure in your bum; you may feel that you have to go to the bathroom. Your stomach may also feel a little sore, like a stomach ache. All of these feelings are normal, this happens to everyone who has this test.
Preparing for the test
Your nurse will give you the information you need to help you get ready to have your colonoscopy. You will be told that you will not be able to eat or drink anything before the test. Your nurse will give you a special medicine that you will need to drink. This special drink will help to clean out your intestine. Your intestine is where your body stores the stuff that your body does not need anymore, this is called stool (or poop). Before you have the test, all your stool needs to be out of your intestine. This special drink helps you to go to the bathroom a lot so that all the stool gets out.
You may also be given a special medicine before the test that makes you feel sleepy and help you relax. This medicine goes into your IV. If you do not already have an IV, the nurse will give you one. The IV is a small straw that goes into the vein usually in your hand. This is the quickest way to get the sleepy medicine into your body. You will feel a pinch from the poke of the IV, and it may hurt a little.  Remember the needle used to get the straw into your hand, comes out and is put into a special garbage. All that is in your hand is a tiny bendy straw, no needle (to learn more about IV?s, go to the ?What is that? section). When it is time for the test, remember to relax and take deep breaths.
Remember
If you have any questions about the test, always ask!
This content has been reviewed and approved by health care team members at McMaster Children’s Hospital in Hamilton, Ontario. All content is for educational purposes only. For further information, please speak with your health care team.
Bone Scan
What is a Bone Scan?
A bone scan is a test used to take pictures of your bones and joints. The scan?s pictures are taken with the help of a special medicine that makes your bones bright and clear.
Why do I need to have a Bone Scan?
You need a bone scan because the doctor needs to see pictures of your bones. The bone scan will see things in your bones that an X-Ray cannot see.
What does the Bone Scan look like?
The bone scan is a large machine with a special camera that takes pictures of your bones.  There is a bed, sometimes called a table that you lie down on. The camera hangs over you as you lie down on the bed. The camera will not touch you. There is also a computer that helps to take the pictures.
What happens when I have a Bone Scan?
A porter will come and bring you to the area where you will have the bone scan.  A technologist (the person who will take the pictures) will greet you and explain what will happen.  You will be given a gown to wear, this looks like a backward housecoat, you may already be wearing one.
You will go into the room where the bone scan machine is. Before you have the scan you will be given a special medicine called radioisotope. This medicine will act like a highlighter to make your bones bright. This will help the doctor to see your bones better. This medicine has to go into your vein. That means that the technologist will give you a small needle to put the medicine into your vein.
After you get the medicine, you will have to wait about 2 ? 3 hours because it takes that long for the medicine to go into your bones. You will probably go back to your hospital room to wait. When it is time for the test, a porter will bring you back to the bone scan area. The technologist will help you get up onto a bed where you will lie down. It is now time to take the pictures. In the room, there is a camera and a computer. The camera is very big and will come very close to your body but it will not touch you. The camera is a special camera that will see the medicine in your bones; it will take pictures of your bones for the doctor to see. Sometimes the technologist will give you a picture of your bones to take back with you. Sometimes the scan can last for 30-60 minutes. When you are done, you are able to go back to your room.
What will it feel like?
You will feel a quick pinch or poke when the technologist gives you the medicine with the small needle.
The camera used for the test will not hurt you.  It will not touch your body. It is important for you to lie very still and relax so that the pictures are not blurry. It sometimes can help to pass the time faster if you think about some of your favourite things or a favourite place.
Preparing for the test
Your nurse will give you the information you need to help you get ready to have your bone scan. All you have to do for the scan is to remember that you will have to lie still.
Remember
If you have any questions about the test, always ask!
This content has been reviewed and approved by health care team members at McMaster Children’s Hospital in Hamilton, Ontario. All content is for educational purposes only. For further information, please speak with your health care team.
Bone Scan
What is a Blood Pressure test?
Throughout your body, your heart pumps blood through blood vessels. The heart can pump the blood fast and slow. For example, think about a garden hose. If the water is just trickling out, the water is moving slow and at a low force, but if you turn on the hose all the way, the water shoots out really fast and at a high force. This is how your blood vessels work; your heart can pump blood through the vessels slow or fast. To measure how your blood is moving around your body, the blood pressure test is used.
A blood pressure test (sphygmomanometer) measures the force (how fast or slow) of the blood moving through your blood vessels. You may remember hearing numbers when nurses and doctors are talking about your blood pressure. For example you may hear 120 over 80. The first number 120 means how fast your blood is being pushed out of your heart and into the blood vessels, this is called systolic. The other number 80 means this is how fast your blood is going back to your heart, this is called diastolic. A blood pressure test measures both how fast your blood is being pushed out of your heart and how fast your blood is going back to your heart.
Why do I need to have a Blood Pressure test?
Usually when you are in the hospital, your blood pressure is checked everyday, sometimes it can even be checked a few times a day. This just lets the doctor and nurse know how your blood is moving around your body.
What does a Blood Pressure machine look like?
The blood pressure machine has a small computer and a blood pressure cuff. The cuff is made of material with some Velcro on it. The cuff is attached to the computer by a rubber cord. It is on a cart or a small pole so that the nurses can move it around from room to room, or sometimes it is attached to the wall in your room.  No picture is taken, just the numbers show up on the small computer screen for the nurses to write down and tell the doctor.
Sometimes the nurse will use a blood pressure cuff that is not attached to a computer. When the nurse uses this type of blood pressure cuff, they use a pump to pump air into the cuff to fill it with air and read the numbers from the side of the cuff where the pump is.
What happens when I have a Blood Pressure test?
A nurse will come to you with the blood pressure machine.  She may ask you to roll up your sleeve. She will then place the cuff around your arm, just above your elbow. Sometimes the nurses may put the cuff on part of your leg. The nurse will then attach the Velcro to make sure it says in place. A button will then be pushed on the machine, and the cuff will start to fill with air. If the blood pressure cuff is not one that connects to a computer, then the nurse will use a pump on the side of the cuff to help the cuff fill with air. Once it has filled, you will notice that the cuff is very puffy and gives your arm a tight hug/squeeze. The machine will beep that it is done and the nurse will remove the cuff from your arm.
What will the Blood Pressure test feel like?
The nurse will wrap a small cuff around a part of your arm or your leg. When the machine is on, the cuff fills with air. The cuff will get snug (tight) around your arm or leg. Do not worry, the cuff will stop filling with air when it is done, and the air will be let out of the cuff. It is important to relax and stay still so that the test will be short. If you move your arm or leg around, the test will take longer which means the snug cuff will be on your arm or leg longer. The test should take less then a few minutes and will be done a few times a day, sometimes even at night. Sometimes it can help to think of something else, like your favourite place or song, while having the blood pressure done. Other ideas to try to help you lie still are quiet activities like blowing bubbles or watching your favourite movie.
Preparing for the test
There is nothing that you need to do to prepare for a blood pressure test. You do not have to go anywhere to have the test done; your nurse will come into your room with the machine and check it for you.
Remember
If you have any questions about the test, always ask!
MRI
What is a MRI?
A MRI is the short way of saying Magnetic Resonance Imaging. The MRI is a long magnet that takes pictures of inside your body of things that an X-Ray cannot see like your brain and heart. Our bodies have natural magnets in them that send signals to the MRI machine. The MRI takes the signals from the body and shows a special type of picture of the area your doctor wants to look at.
Why do I need to have an MRI?
The MRI takes pictures of inside your body to help the doctors see what is happening inside your body.
What does a MRI machine look like?
The MRI machine looks like a long tunnel with an opening on both ends. There is a bed that moves up and down, it also moves into and out of the tunnel. There are also lights in inside the MRI. The opening into the MRI is big circle.
What happens when I have a MRI?
A porter will come and bring you to the area where you will have the MRI. A technologist (the person who will take the pictures) will greet you and explain what will happen.
You will then get on a bed that moves in and out of the tunnel. Sometimes the technologist will use a special soft belt, like a safety belt to help keep you from moving around. (If you move around when the pictures are being taken, the pictures will be very fuzzy and they will have to retake the pictures. This makes the test much longer then it has to be.) You will also be given a headset to put over your ears while the test is happening. When the MRI is taking pictures, it is very loud. You may hear sounds like knocking, a jack hammer and whirling, this is just the way the machine works. The headset they give you will help you from hearing the sounds, plus if you would like to listen to music during the test, the technologist can put on a CD for you. You will also be able to hear the technologist talking to you through the headset. They will give you a buzzer in your hand that has a button on it, if you need anything from them while the test is happening, you can push the button, and this will let the technologist know that you want to talk to them. When you are ready for the test, the technologist will go into another room, put on your music for you to listen to and watch you from a window. This is where she will be using a computer to tell the MRI to take the pictures.  This test can be can be from 30 mins to over an hour.  Once the pictures have been taken you are able to go back to your room.
What will the MRI feel like?
The MRI will not hurt. The sounds it makes while the pictures are being taken are very loud. The earplugs and headset they give you helps you to not hear the loud sounds. It is hard having to stay still for a long time, it may help if you close your eyes during the test and try to fall asleep. Remember to lie still so they can get a clear picture. Thinking about your favourite thing to do may help you sit still.
Preparing for the test.
Your nurse will give you the information you need to help you get ready to have your MRI. The nurse may also ask you some questions before the test to help you get ready. The MRI machine uses a magnet to take the pictures, so remember not to wear any jewelry or any clothes with any metal on it like buttons and zippers. You are able to eat and drink before your test.
Remember
If you have any questions about the test, always ask!
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