Colonoscopy

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW

Risks

IF YOU'RE HEADING FOR THE HOSPITAL...

Before You Go

• You will need to clean out your colon to get ready for this test. To do this, you will be given medicine and allowed to drink only liquids before the test.
  • For 1 or 2 days before your test, drink only clear liquids (jello, broth, juice).
  • On the day of your test, do not eat or drink anything. This includes no water. Your doctor will tell you exactly when to stop eating and drinking.
  • To help clean out the colon, you may be given a laxative to take the night before, or the day of your test.
  • You may also need to have an enema before the test.

What to Expect While You're There

• Taking Vital Signs: Before the test, a nurse will take your temperature, blood pressure, pulse (counting your heartbeats), and respirations (counting your breaths). A stethoscope is used to listen to your heart and lungs. Your blood pressure is taken by wrapping a cuff around your arm.
• Pulse Oximeter: You may be hooked up to a pulse oximeter (ox-IM-uh-ter). It is placed on the ear, finger, or toe and connected to a machine that measures the oxygen in your blood.
• Electrocardiograph (e-lec-tro-CAR-dee-o-graf): This machine is also called an EKG. The patches on your chest are hooked up to a TV-type screen or a small portable box (telemetry unit) that shows a tracing of each heartbeat. Your heart is being watched for signs of irritation that could be related to the test or another problem.
• Pain Medication: The test can be uncomfortable, so you may be given medication before it begins.
• During the Colonoscopy
  • You will be asked to roll over on your side or stomach. You may have to raise one or both knees toward your chest. A sheet will cover your lower body.
  • A soft tube with a light and camera lenses on its tip will be gently inserted through your rectum. The camera will take pictures of your colon that show up on a TV-like screen. To improve the view, air may be pumped into the colon.
  • A sample of the tissue inside your colon and, perhaps, a stool sample will be taken.
  • The test will take about an hour to an hour and a half.

After You Leave

• If pain medication has made you drowsy, do not drive when you leave.
• You may resume normal activities and begin drinking or eating when you feel up to it.

Call Your Doctor If...

• You have a generally ill feeling, headache, chills, or muscle aches.
• You have a high temperature.

Seek Care Immediately If...

• You begin to have bright red bleeding from your rectum.
• You feel dizzy or short of breath, or you faint.
• You have vomiting and sharp pain in your abdomen.