Planning your visit
China Check-up Preparation: Breath Tests, Ultrasound and Medicines
By MyChinaCheckup coordination team · Updated
For a check-up combining blood tests, a breath test, ultrasound or endoscopy, request one preparation sheet tied to the final examination list. Different tests may have different food, water and medicine instructions. The hospital must reconcile them for your visit; do not extend fasting or stop medicines based on a generic package checklist.
Ask a different preparation question for each named test
Use this as a question list to send to the selected hospital, not as instructions to begin preparation. Give the team the exact package and any accepted additions, together with the relevant medicine names and appointment date.
| Booked test or procedure | Question for the responsible clinical team |
|---|---|
| Blood tests | Which of my actual tests require fasting? What are the start time, water instructions and instructions for my usual medicines? |
| H. pylori breath test | Which test is booked? Do my recent antibiotics, acid-suppressing medicines or other products affect the test date or preparation? Who confirms any medicine change? |
| Pelvic ultrasound | Is the examination abdominal or vaginal? What bladder preparation applies, and how does it fit with my other tests? |
| Breast ultrasound | Should I bring prior reports or images, and is there any preparation for the booked examination? |
| Gastroscopy | What are my procedure-specific instructions, assessment, sedation plan if relevant, and escort arrangements? |
| Colonoscopy, if separately agreed | What written bowel-preparation schedule applies, who supplies it, and how does it affect the other appointments? |
MedlinePlus explains that medicines can affect H. pylori testing. RadiologyInfo describes different pelvic ultrasound approaches and their preparation. These sources help you identify the question; the booked department supplies the answer for your case. H. pylori testing · Pelvic ultrasound.
Resolve instructions that appear to conflict
If one message asks for a full bladder while another restricts drinks, send both to the coordinator and hospital. Identify the named tests and times, and ask the clinical team to provide one ordered schedule. Do not choose one message yourself or assume that finishing the blood draw ends every restriction.
Save the final version with its date, who supplied it, China local times and a contact for problems. If an extra procedure is added later, ask whether the preparation sheet must be reissued. If travel disruption means you cannot follow it, tell the team what happened before attending. The response may involve changing the examination order or appointment, but that decision belongs to the responsible provider.
For the distinct booking questions around endoscopy, read gastroscopy and colonoscopy planning. For named women’s package examples, see Guangzhou and Chengdu.
Get the final examination list first
Preparation starts with knowing what is actually booked. Ask for the hospital campus, appointment time and final list of examinations. If a scan, consultation or endoscopy is added later, request revised instructions rather than assuming the earlier message still covers the visit.
Save the instructions somewhere you can open without searching through a long conversation. Keep the original hospital message alongside any English translation. If the translated wording is unclear, ask the coordinator to obtain clarification from the clinical team before the preparation period begins.
Distinguish the hospital arrival time from the time of a particular examination. An early registration slot does not necessarily tell you how the rest of the morning is organised.
Confirm food and water rules for the actual tests
MedlinePlus guidance on fasting blood tests says that plain water is generally permitted, while the provider determines whether fasting is needed and for how long. This blood-test guidance is not a universal instruction for every examination in a combined visit. Follow the hospital's confirmed preparation plan and resolve conflicting messages before attending.
Ask the team to write down the last permitted meal time, the rule for drinking water, and which examination determines when you can eat afterwards. Use China local time in the final plan. That avoids confusion if the instructions arrive while you are still in another time zone.
Request medication instructions from the clinical team
MedlinePlus advises discussing medicines and supplements with the provider and not stopping medicines without their instruction. Give the hospital an accurate list, including names, doses and usual timing, so that the clinician can advise for your particular appointment.
Your planning task is to make the list understandable. A photo of the labelled packaging can help identify a product whose brand name differs between countries. Keep prescription medicines, over-the-counter products and supplements visible in the same list rather than mentioning them in separate messages.
If the answer simply says to take your usual medicines, ask how that instruction fits with any fasting requirements. A coordinator can relay the question and translate the response, but should not decide which dose you should take or omit.
Turn separate messages into one preparation sheet
| Write down | Confirm with the hospital |
|---|---|
| Date and times | Preparation start, arrival and first appointment in China local time |
| Food and drinks | Restrictions, water instructions and when they end |
| Medicines | The clinician's instructions for each relevant medicine |
| Documents | Identification and previous records needed at registration |
| Samples | Whether any collection instructions apply before arrival |
| Contact | Who to call if preparation or travel does not go to plan |
Ask the coordinator to check that the sheet matches the latest hospital message. If a line is still unanswered, mark it as a question rather than filling it with advice from a different package.
Give endoscopy and additional procedures their own check
If the visit includes gastroscopy, colonoscopy or a procedure involving sedation, request the relevant clinical team's procedure-specific instructions. Do not use the blood-test section of this guide as preparation for those appointments.
Clarify whether the procedure is confirmed or only under discussion, who supplies its instructions, and whether it changes transport or accompaniment arrangements. See the endoscopy planning page for the booking questions. The hospital must decide suitability and preparation.
Likewise, do not assume that completing one test means all restrictions have ended. Ask the staff who are overseeing the remaining examinations before changing the plan.
Plan for travel disruption and honest check-in
A delayed flight or late hotel arrival can make a carefully timed plan difficult to follow. Tell the coordinator as soon as the travel schedule changes, so the hospital can advise whether the appointment still works. Do not extend a fasting period yourself simply to preserve an appointment.
If you eat or drink contrary to the instructions, tell the clinical team what happened and when. MedlinePlus notes that the provider may need to reschedule a fasting blood test. The right response comes from the team responsible for your examinations.
At check-in, show the preparation sheet and mention anything that did not go as planned. If you feel unwell, tell staff promptly. It is more useful to arrive with accurate information than to present an incomplete account because you are worried about losing the booking.
Common questions
Should everyone avoid drinking water before a check-up?
No single instruction applies to every package. Plain water is generally permitted for fasting blood tests, but a combined visit may have other requirements. Obtain the hospital’s instructions for your booked examinations.
Can the coordinator tell me to stop a medicine?
Medication decisions should come from your clinical team. The coordinator can pass on your medication list, request advice and help make the instructions understandable.
What if I receive two different preparation messages?
Send both messages to the hospital or coordinator and ask for one confirmed version tied to the final examination list. Do this before the preparation period starts.
Plan the details before you book
Send your planned examinations and arrival time. We can request the hospital’s preparation instructions and help you identify any fasting, water or medication questions that need a clinical answer.
An enquiry does not reserve an appointment. Confirm the hospital, date, scope and total in writing before payment.