Authors

  1. Nutter, Melanie MSN, RN, ANP-C
  2. Dunston, Diana MSN, RN, FNP-C
  3. Ieyoub, Jonathan MS, RN, FNP-C
  4. Hart, Albert IV MBA, RN, NEA-BC, CPHQ, CCP-P, CGCS
  5. Harper, Jeannie PhD, RN
  6. Burke, Mary S. PhD, RN, CCRN

Abstract

A comparative retrospective study was conducted to evaluate diagnostic findings between small bowel follow-through (SBFT) and wireless capsule endoscopy in the presence of obscure gastrointestinal bleeding. A convenience sample of 31 patients with previous negative upper and lower endoscopy was included in the study. Wireless capsule endoscopy established a significant source of obscure gastrointestinal bleeding 53% of the time. The diagnostic capacity of radiographic SBFT was measured at 17% as compared with that of the wireless capsule endoscopy. The clinical findings along with the digital images obtained from the wireless capsule endoscopy was found to be the optimum diagnostic tool in the evaluation of obscure gastrointestinal bleeding in the small bowel.