An Extremely Useful Tool for an Upper Endoscopic Examination

To the Editor,

This is the first report about the novel use of a body pillow in an upper endoscopic examination. Intravenous sedation is commonly used during gastrointestinal endoscopy (Amornyotin, Lertakayamanee, Wongyingsinn, Pimukmanuskit, & Chalayonnavin, 2007). Although it is very useful for minimizing the distress of patients, there are risks of serious complications (Carey & Sorbi, 2004; Chan, 1996). Therefore, it is never a totally safe procedure. Unsedated endoscopy is commonly selected for diagnostic upper gastrointestinal endoscopy in many medical institutions of Japan.

A new endoscopic tool was recently identified, which is extremely useful, convenient, and safe: a body pillow. The distress level for patients with the body pillow during diagnostic upper endoscopies was evaluated in our unit (Figure 1). Healthy patients (n = 177), who had previously undergone diagnostic upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, were selected as the study patients. Sedation was never used. In the present study, endoscopy was performed with the patient hugging a body pillow in his or her arms while lying on his or her left side (Figure 2). After endoscopy, all patients were interviewed with regard to their distress level in comparison with previous examinations. The distress levels were divided into three groups: (1) feeling less distress in comparison with previous endoscopy, (2) feeling the same amount of stress, and (3) feeling more distress. Surprisingly, 60% of the patients using a body pillow answered that they had experienced less distress than during their previous endoscopic examinations (Figure 3).

Figure 3. The distress levels were divided into three groups (1: feeling less distress in comparison to a previous endoscopy, 2: feeling the same, 3: feeling more distress). Surprisingly, 60% of patients using a body pillow during upper endoscopy felt less distress than during the previous examinations.

Figure 2. The diagnostic upper endoscopy was performed while the patients were hugging a body pillow in the left lateral decubitus position.

Figure 1. The body pillow, which is generally used while sleeping.

We conclude that performing upper endoscopy while the patient is hugging a body pillow is an extremely useful and convenient procedure in comparison with traditional endoscopy. Furthermore, the risks of serious complications are lower with this procedure than with sedation. On the basis of our experience, the use of a body pillow is recommended for upper endoscopic examinations.

Sincerely,

Rie Matsuda, RN

Takuji Ooga, MD, PhD

Shuhei Yoshida, MD, PhD

Junichi Katanaka, MD

Yoshihito Uchida, MD, PhD

Rie Matsuda, Takuji Ooga, Junichi Katanaka, and Yoshihito Uchida are from the Department of Gastroenterology, Internal Medicine, Mitoyo Municipal Eikou Hospital, Kagawa, Japan.

Shuhei Yoshida is from the Department of Gastroenterology, Internal Medicine, TMG Asakadai Central General Hospital, Saitama, Japan.

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