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Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Trust UCL Institute of Child Health
 

Children and families

Transit study

This leaflet explains about the transit study test and what to expect when your child comes to Great Ormond Street Hospital to have one.

Contents

What is a transit study?

This is a test which shows how quickly food passes through the digestive system. As explained later, it starts at home, when you give your child some pellets to swallow. About three days later they come into hospital for an X-ray and, usually on the same day, an outpatient appointment to discuss the test results.

Why is it needed?

Your child needs this test to show if there are any problems with their digestive system which are causing food to pass too quickly or too slowly between their mouth and the outside world, as faeces (poo) through their rectum.

What happens before the test?

The nurses on the ward will contact you at least 72 hours before your child comes to hospital for their X-ray. They will send you three tiny capsules of pellets for your child to swallow at set times before this. Older children should be able to swallow them with water, but for younger children you can take the pellets out of the capsule and hide them in a small amount of food.

The pellets are clearly marked to tell you on which day they need to be taken.

The pellet with no markings on it should be taken on day one, 72 hours before your appointment.
The pellet with a line down the middle should be taken on day two, 48 hours before your appointment.
The pellet with three lines, dividing it into three sections, should be taken on day three, 24 hours before your appointment.

What does the test involve?

Your child will have an X-ray which will show up where the pellets are in their digestive system. After the X-ray, your child will be able to go to their outpatient appointment.

Are there any risks?

There are no risks to your child linked to taking the pellets needed for this test, and they will pass out of your child in his or her faeces. The X-rays which are taken to see where the pellets are in your child’s digestive system use only a tiny amount of radioactivity and any possible harm from this is extremely slight. However, X-rays may harm developing babies, so if your daughter is having the test we will ask her about her periods and may enquire about any possibility that she could be pregnant.

How long will it take to get the results?

The results will be available immediately and you will be given the X-ray picture to take to your child’s outpatient appointment.

Ref: F990207 © GOSH Trust 2002
Compiled by Rita Dowd, Gastroenterology Nurse in collaboration with the Patient Information Group.
This information does not constitute health or medical advice and will not necessarily reflect treatment at other hospitals. If you have any questions, please ask your doctor. No liability can be taken as a result of using this information.

This page was last updated on 12 August, 2008