A small study found physicians detect fewer than half of small intestine abnormalities when viewing images taken during a capsule endoscopy, according findings published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology.
During the procedure, a patient swallows a pill-sized video camera that takes up to 50,000 images of the small intestine, including areas where traditional colonoscopies and upper endoscopies can't reach. Physicians often look at all of these images in 30-90 minutes.
For the study, 17 physicians looked at 24 images — 18 of which showed small intestine abnormalities — in the four most common reading modes. Detection rates varied from 43-47 percent in the first three reading modes and just 26 percent in the fourth.
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During the procedure, a patient swallows a pill-sized video camera that takes up to 50,000 images of the small intestine, including areas where traditional colonoscopies and upper endoscopies can't reach. Physicians often look at all of these images in 30-90 minutes.
For the study, 17 physicians looked at 24 images — 18 of which showed small intestine abnormalities — in the four most common reading modes. Detection rates varied from 43-47 percent in the first three reading modes and just 26 percent in the fourth.
Related Articles on Gastroenterology:
New Test Offers Greater Accuracy in Early Detection of Colorectal Cancer
Obesity Surgery Mortality Risk Score Predicts Risk From Bariatric Surgery
5 Ways to Save Money at GI Centers in 2012