Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy in a rural hospital: a facility assessed.

In an isolated hospital in Pakistan, upper gastrointestinal endoscopy has been used to clarify the pathological cause and significance of common symptoms. Indications for its use include dysphagia, vomiting, and epigastric pain related to meals. In small hospitals where results of barium studies are unsatisfactory, endoscopy, easily learned and rapidly carried out, can be a more informative and cost-effective alternative.