SmartPill™ Motility Capsule

• Nausea and/or vomiting
• Abdominal pain
• Bloating/distention
• Early satiety
• Constipation

Your child must fast overnight before the test. Do not eat or drink anything after 12 midnight the night before the test. Refrain from tobacco and alcohol use while fasting and the duration of the study.

Your child's doctor may also instruct him or her to hold some medicines that can interfere with the motility capsule.

In the GI procedure room, your child will eat a SmartPill™ meal bar similar to a granola bar within 15 minutes and then swallow the motility capsule the size of a vitamin pill. He or she will need to fast for six hours after ingesting the capsule and then resume normal daily activities. 

Your child will be instructed to wear a recorder that receives the data from the capsule for the duration of the study, about three to five days. This box has buttons to record events such as bowel movements and eating a meal. These instructions will be provided and reviewed by the GI nurse when the capsule is swallowed.

• The recorder is worn at all times throughout the study except during bathing and sleeping. The recorder can be worn on a lanyard around the neck or on a belt clip. 
• While sleeping, the recorder should be placed under your child’s pillow or on a nightstand next to his or her bed. DO NOT use the lanyard when sleeping. 
• When your child showers or bathes, he or she must remove the recorder and place it as near to the shower/tub as possible.
• Your child will be asked to refrain from using laxatives, bowel cathartics, antidiarrheal medications and antacids until after the SmartPill™ capsule is passed.  
• Your child may be asked to avoid vigorous exercise such as sit-ups, abdominal crunches and prolonged aerobic activity greater than 15 minutes until after the SmartPill™ capsule is passed.
• During the test, your child will be asked to wait three minutes in the lavatory before flushing the toilet after each bowel movement. 
• Once the capsule has passed, the data recorder, belt clip/lanyard AND event diary need to be returned the next day via a pre-paid FedEx box.
• If your child’s provider stopped any medication, these can be restarted once the study is over.
• The information stored on the recorder is uploaded to the computer for analysis.

Results of the test: Your child’s doctor will provide you with the results as they become available. You may be asked to return with your child for a visit to discuss results of all the tests, and to discuss options and plans.

Our team of doctors, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, nurses and technicians will help you through the process. Contact us at 202-476-3032. Please do let us know of any questions you may have. Reach out to Patient Experience Liason Michele Grady, 202-476-6160, for questions regarding your overnight stay in the hospital or learn more about having surgery at Children's National and what to expect. 

Specific instructions:

• This is a NON-SEDATED procedure.
• Please arrive to the 2nd floor pre-op registration one (1) hour prior to your scheduled time.
• Your child should not have anything to eat after midnight prior to the study (minimum 8 hours).
• The nurse will review all instructions with you at the time of the study.
• Please stop ALL medications for the GI tract such as antacids, antispasmodics, laxatives and pro-motility medications. Only continue medications for heart disease, high blood pressure or diabetes.
• SmartBar Ingredients: Whey crisp, rolled oats, rice syrup, corn syrup, invert sugar, concentrated whey protein, puffed wheat, apple juice concentrate, glycerine, molasses, contains 2% or less of: honey, defatted wheat germ, dried apples, dried cranberries, partially hydrogenated vegetable shortening (soy and/or cottonseed oils), natural and artificial flavors, potassium sorbate (as preservative), salt, vanilla.
  • EGG BASED meal can be SUBSTITUTED for the SmartBar
    (Patient must bring these pre-cooked or can use microwave in cafeteria to prepare)
    
    ½ cup (120g) Egg Beaters, equivalent to the volume of 2 large egg whites; 60kcal
    2 slices of bread (gluten free is ok if needed); 120kcal
    1.5 Tbsp (30g) strawberry jam; 75kcal
    ½ cup (120mL) water

Hold the following medications:

Discontinue the use of the medications listed below:

• Omeprazole, lansoprazole, nexium for 7 days prior to your test
• Histamine blockers (zantac) for 2 days prior to your test
• Antiemetics (Zofran, kytril) for 2 days prior to your test
• Macrolides (erythromycin/zithromycin) for 2 days prior to your test
• Anticholinergics(Phenergan/compaszine) for 2 days prior to your test
• Antacids (Maalox/Mylanta, Rolaids/Tums) for 2 days prior to your test

SmartPill is an ingestible capsule device that restricts my child from having an MRI.

If there are any questions, please contact my child's doctor.

Anil Darbari, M.D. (202-476-3032)