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Much of the morbidity, cost, and inconvenience of esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) stems from the sedation that generally is used for the procedure. In this study, researchers evaluated unsedated EGD performed with a small-caliber, 6-mm-diameter endoscope.
First, 40 volunteers underwent small-caliber EGD -- 20 with sedation and 20 without. Although discomfort levels and choking sensations were higher without sedation, the average differences were only 1 or 2 points on a 1- to 10-point scale, and the procedures were completed successfully in all cases.
Next, the researchers assessed the diagnostic yield of small-caliber EGD: 90 symptomatic patients underwent small-caliber EGD (40 without sedation) by one operator, immediately followed by stand…