Magnesium Citrate Bowel Preparation for Children Having Colonoscopy and Endoscopy (For ages 10 years to adult)

Your child is scheduled for a colonoscopy/endoscopy in the Pediatric Endoscopy Suite at Massachusetts General Hospital 55 Fruit St Boston, MA 02114. The date of the procedure is: ____________________

Please note: All patients must have a PCR COVID-19 test 3 days before their procedure.

Please come to the GRAY Building, 4th Floor at: (1 hour before the procedure) ____________________

The procedure begins at: _______________________

Please note that arrival time can change due to cancellations or emergencies. If time is changed, you will be notified the day prior to the procedure.

Once you’ve arrived in the Fruit Street Garage, please call Pediatric Endoscopy at 857-238-7344 and let them know you’ve arrived. They will let you know if they’re running on schedule and when you should go up to Pediatric Endoscopy on the 4^th floor of the Gray building. We are trying to minimize the number of people in the waiting room at the same time. Also, only 1 family member will be allowed to come into the hospital with patient.

What you need to do before you start to prepare for your child's procedure

1. Call 866-211-6588 to update your registration (if not done within 6 months)
2. Be sure you have an insurance referral, if required by your insurance company. Please contact your insurance to be sure Mass General is in-network with your policy and if you require authorization for your procedure.

Buy at your local drugstore

• One 10-ounce (oz.) bottles of oral magnesium citrate
• One adult fleet enema (your pharmacist may need to order this)
• Clear liquid drinks from the list below
• Dulcolax® tablets

One (1) day before the procedure

• Put the magnesium citrate in the refrigerator.
• After breakfast, give your child only clear liquids for the rest of the day (no solid food).
• Give your child 2 Dulcolax® tablets
• Next, give your child 10 ounces of magnesium citrate at 4:00 p.m. You can give this in a cup on ice and may mix it with clear liquids.
• Your child should drink all of this in 10-15 minutes.
• After your child has finished the drink, give them at least 24 ounces of clear liquids over the next several hours.

The day of the procedure

On the day of the procedure, your child may ONLY have clear liquids. Give your child these fluids until __________. After this time, do not give your child anything to eat or drink until after the procedure.

• If your child still has consistently loose stool in the morning, give them an adult fleet enema. Please call your doctor’s office to make a follow-up appointment 2 weeks after the procedure.

Clear liquids

Your child can have any of the items listed below. However, please do not give your child any liquid that has red food coloring.

• Water
• Popsicles® (no red)
• Apple juice
• White grape juice
• Ginger ale
• Tea with lemon (no milk)
• Electrolyte replacement drinks like Pedialyte® or generic electrolyte brand (no red)

If your child has trouble with this preparation, or if you have any questions, please call 617-643-5252.

After 5:00 p.m., call 617-726-8705, and have the Pediatric Gastroenterologist FELLOW paged. If you have questions regarding medication, please call the nurses at 857-238-7351.

Please do not bring additional children with you to the Endoscopy Unit for this scheduled procedure. The area has limited space and we strive to maintain privacy for all our patients and their families. We welcome your assistance in your child’s care prior to and after the procedure which may require your complete attention. Children under age 13 cannot be left unattended in the waiting room.

Rev. 4/2022. MassGeneral for Children and Massachusetts General Hospital do not endorse any of the brands listed on this handout. This handout is intended to provide health information so that you can be better informed. It is not a substitute for medical advice and should not be used to treat any medical conditions.