DIAGNOSTIC NURSING

PURPOSE
PROCEDURE RESPONSIBILITIES
Is a type of test performed on
air generated from the act of
exhalation.
Types include:

Breathalyzer – by far the most

common usage of this term
relates to the legal breath test
•Instruct patient not to eat a
to determine if a person is
heavy meal before the test
driving under the influence of
alcohol.
•Tell patient to stop taking
Hydrogen breath test – it is
certain medicines before the
becoming more and more
procedure, if instructed by
common for people to
physician.
undertake a medical test for
clinical diagnosis of dietary
•Ask for any history of
disabilities such as fructose
allergies to anesthetic agents
intolerance, fructose
BREATH TEST and list of medicines the
malabsorption, lactose
patient is taking
intolerance and lactulose
intolerance.
•Withheld food and fluids for 6
The presence of Helicobacter
to 12 hours prior to the exam to
pylori (in peptic ulcer disease)
decrease the risk of aspiration
can be tested for with the urea
(NPO)
breath test.
Exhaled nitric oxide is a
•Instruct the patient to do oral
breath test that might signal
care and remove any dentures
airway inflammation such as in
if appropriate.
asthma.
Breath tests for diseases have
been developed for early
detection of Lung Cancer,
Breast Cancer, Pulmonary TB
and many others, to serve as an
adjunct to existing medical
tests.
•Secure an informed consent.
•Check for allergies, bleeding
histories, and medications.
•Provide information about the
Is the endoscopic examination
procedure
of the large bowel and the
•Ensure that the patient has
distal part of the small bowel
COLONOSCOPY complied with the bowel
with a CCD camera or a fiber
preparation.
optic camera on a flexible tube
•Instruct the patient to empty
passed through the anus.
bladder prior to the procedure.
•Instruct the patient to remove
all metallic objects from the
area to be examined.
 An endoscopy is used in
medicine to look inside the
body. The endoscopy
procedure uses an endoscope
to examine the interior of a
ENDOSCOPY
hollow organ or cavity of the
body. Unlike many other
medical imaging techniques,
endoscopes are inserted
directly into the organ.
An upper gastrointestinal
series, also called an upper
gastrointestinal study or
UPPER contrast radiography of the
GASTROINTESTINAL upper gastrointestinal tract, and
SERIES often known as a barium meal,
is a series of radiographs used
to examine the gastrointestinal 
tract for abnormalities.
A lower gastrointestinal series 
is a medical procedure used to
examine and diagnose
problems with the human
colon (large intestine).
Radiographs (X-ray pictures)
are taken while barium sulfate,
a radiocontrast agent, fills the
LOWER colon via an enema through the 
GASTROINTESTINAL rectum.
SERIES
The term barium enema
usually refers to a lower
gastrointestinal series, although
enteroclysis (an upper
gastrointestinal series) is often
called a small bowel barium
enema.
•Keeping the patient informed
throughout the duration of the
procedure.
•Preparing the instruments,
equipment and supplies for the
procedure.
•Cleaning and sterilizing
equipment before use.
 Ask the patient if she is
pregnant.
 Ask patient if he/she have
had a recent barium X-ray
or cholangiography
procedure, as this may
interfere with obtaining an
optimal X-ray exposure of
the upper GI series.
 Instruct patient that he/she
must completely change
into a patient gown. A
locker will be provided to
secure their personal
belongings.
Instruct the patient to
remove all piercings and
leave all jewelry and
valuables at home.
 The night before the exam,
instruct patient do not eat
or drink anything after
midnight until the exam is
over.
Ask the patient if she is
pregnant.
 Instruct patient that he/she
must completely change
into a patient gown. A
locker will be provided to
secure their personal
belongings.
Instruct the patient to
remove all piercings and
leave all jewelry and
valuables at home.
 The night before the exam,
instruct patient do not eat
or drink anything after
midnight until the exam is
over.

A stool test involves the
collection and analysis of fecal •Avoid laxatives. Advise
STOOL TEST matter to diagnose the presence patient that laxatives, enemas,
or absence of a medical
condition.
Liver biopsy is the biopsy
(removal of a small sample of
tissue) from the liver. It is a
medical test that is done to aid
LIVER BIOPSY
diagnosis of liver disease, to
assess the severity of known
liver disease, and to monitor
the progress of treatment.
Enteroclysis is an imaging test
of the small intestine. The test
looks at how a liquid called
ENTEROCLYSIS contrast material moves
through the small intestine.
•Assess the patient’s level of
comfort. Collecting stool
specimen may produce a
feeling of embarrassment and
discomfort to the patient.
•Encourage the patient to
urinate. Allow the patient to
urinate before collecting to
avoid contaminating the stool
with urine.
or suppositories are avoided
three days prior to collection.
•Instruct patient to do
handwashing. Allow the
patient to thoroughly clean his
or her hands and perianal area.
•Resume activities. The patient
may resume his or her normal
diet and medication therapy
unless otherwise specified.
 Advised patient nothing to
eat or drink for six hours
before the procedure. And
may be allowed to have a
light breakfast only, such
as black tea or coffee and
toast. Some doctors
recommend eating a small
amount of fat (such as
butter or margarine) with
breakfast, which will
empty the gallbladder and
potentially decrease the
risk of gallbladder injury
during the biopsy.
 Assess patient’s allergy and
history.
 Give medicines to patient
to minimize discomfort and
anxiety. Because the
cooperation is needed
during a liver biopsy
 Monitor the blood pressure
and pulse periodically
 Instruct patient that he/she
must completely change
into a patient gown.
 Instruct the patient to
remove all piercings and
leave all jewelry and
valuables at home.

Is a graphic produced by an
electrogastrograph, which
records the electrical signals
ELECTROGASTROGRAM that travel through the stomach
muscles and control the
muscles' contractions.
Is the minimally invasive
medical examination of the
large intestine from the rectum
SIGMOIDOSCOPY through the nearest part of the
colon, the sigmoid colon.
Is a biochemical measurement
of the protein calprotectin in
the stool. Elevated faecal
calprotectin indicates the
FAECAL CALPROTECTIN migration of neutrophils to the
intestinal mucosa, which
occurs during intestinal
inflammation
 Asked the patient to eat a
small meal a couple of
hours before the test
 Asked patient to drink
water. Before the test, and
at ten minute intervals
during the test, the
technician will document
the patient's symptoms.
 Explain the procedure to
the patient. Provide
specific instructions about
how to prepare for the
examination.
 Preparation often including
a clear liquid diet,
laxatives, and use of an
enema shortly before the
examination.
 Ask the patient if he/ she
take any medications. Such
as iron preparations, may
need to be stopped one to
two weeks before the
examination.
 Instruct the patient to eat a
low-residue diet for 3 days
prior to the procedure.
 Regarding the patient's risk
for bleeding, the patient
should be instructed to
avoid taking natural
products and medications
with known anticoagulant,
antiplatelet, or
thrombolytic properties or
to reduce dosage, as
ordered, prior to the
procedure. Number of days
to withhold medication is
dependent on the type of
anticoagulant. Note the last
time and dose of
medication taken.
 Ask the patient to stop
medication like NSAIDs, 4
weeks prior to collecting
your sample.
 Explain the procedure to
the patient and instruction
for collection of stool
sample.