Barium meal

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is about a radiography method. For the espionage technique, see canary trap.

X-ray of the stomach with both positive (barium sulphate) and negative (CO₂) radiocontrast.

A barium meal, also known as an upper gastrointestinal series is a procedure in which radiographs of the oesophagus, stomach and duodenum are taken after barium sulfate is ingested by a patient. Barium meals are useful in the diagnosis of structural and motility abnormalities of the foregut.

The gastrointestinal tract, like other soft-tissue structures, does not show clearly enough for diagnostic purposes on plain radiographs. Barium salts are radioopaque: they show clearly on a radiograph. If barium is swallowed before radiographs are taken, the barium within the oesophagus, stomach or duodenum shows the shape of the lumina of these organs.

Liquid suspensions of barium sulfate are non-toxic, apart from a small risk of producing a disturbance in bowel function for 48 hours after ingestion. They usually have a chalky taste that can be disguised by adding flavours.^[1]

A barium meal usually takes less than an hour. The patient ingests gas pellets and citric acid to expand the stomach. Then about 3 cups (about 709 ml) of barium is ingested. The patient may move or roll over to coat the stomach and oesophagus in barium. A needle may also be used to relax the muscle between the stomach and the duodenum. Following these preparations, an x-ray is taken.

There are two varieties of barium meal: single and double contrast meals. A single contrast meal uses only barium, a radioopaque (or positive) contrast medium, to image the upper gastrointestinal tract. A double contrast meal uses barium as well as a radiolucent (or negative) contrast medium such as air, nitrogen, or carbon dioxide. The double contrast meal is more useful as a diagnostic test, demonstrating mucosal details and allowing the detection of small mucosal lesions such as diverticula or polyps.

The radiation dose from a barium meal X-ray is around 2.5 millisieverts (250 mrem).^[2]

The diagnostic usage of barium studies has declined in recent years with the increasing use of the practice of oesophagogastroduodenoscopy, which allows direct visual inspection of suspicious areas within the oesophagus, stomach and duodenum.

References

↑ Upper G.I./Barium Swallow
↑ "Ionising radiation" (PDF). ANSTO. November 2009.

Digestive system surgical and other procedures / Digestive system surgery (ICD-9-CM V3 42–54, ICD-10-PCS 0D)

Digestive tract

Upper GI tract

SGs / Esophagus	Esophagectomy Heller myotomy Sialography Impedance–pH monitoring Esophageal pH monitoring Esophageal motility study

Stomach	Bariatric surgery Adjustable gastric band Gastric bypass surgery Sleeve gastrectomy Vertical banded gastroplasty surgery Collis gastroplasty Gastrectomy Billroth I Billroth II Roux-en-Y Gastroenterostomy Gastropexy Gastrostomy Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy Hill repair Nissen fundoplication Pyloromyotomy

Medical imaging	Endoscopy: Esophagogastroduodenoscopy Barium swallow Upper gastrointestinal series

Lower GI tract

Small bowel	Bariatric surgery Duodenal switch Jejunoileal bypass Ileostomy Jejunostomy Partial ileal bypass surgery

Large bowel	Appendicectomy Colectomy Colonic polypectomy Colostomy Hartmann's operation

Rectum	Abdominoperineal resection / Miles operation Lower anterior resection Total mesorectal excision

Anal canal	Anal sphincterotomy Anorectal manometry Lateral internal sphincterotomy Rubber band ligation Transanal hemorrhoidal dearterialization

Medical imaging	Endoscopy: Colonoscopy Anoscopy Capsule endoscopy Enteroscopy Proctoscopy Sigmoidoscopy Abdominal ultrasonography Defecography Double-contrast barium enema Endoanal ultrasound Enteroclysis Lower gastrointestinal series Small-bowel follow-through Transrectal ultrasonography Virtual colonoscopy

Stool tests	Fecal fat test Fecal pH test Stool guaiac test

Accessory

Liver	Artificial extracorporeal liver support Bioartificial liver devices Liver dialysis Hepatectomy Liver biopsy Liver transplantation

Gallbladder, bile duct	Cholecystectomy Cholecystostomy ERCP Hepatoportoenterostomy Medical imaging: Cholangiography IV MRCP PTC Cholecystography Cholescintigraphy

Pancreas	Frey's procedure Pancreas transplantation Pancreatectomy Pancreaticoduodenectomy Puestow procedure

Abdominopelvic

Peritoneum	Diagnostic peritoneal lavage Intraperitoneal injection Laparoscopy Omentopexy Paracentesis Peritoneal dialysis

Hernia	Hernia repair: Inguinal hernia surgery Femoral hernia repair

Other

CPRs

M: DIG

anat (t, g, p)/phys/devp/enzy

noco/cong/tumr, sysi/epon

proc, drug (A2A/2B/3/4/5/6/7/14/16), blte

Medical testing : Medical imaging
Radiology
(ICD-9-CM V3 87–88, ICD-10-PCS B, CPT 70010–79999)

X-ray/
medical radiography/
Industrial radiography

Medical:	Pneumoencephalography Dental radiography Sialography Myelography CXR Bronchography AXR KUB DXA/DXR Upper gastrointestinal series/Small-bowel follow-through/Lower gastrointestinal series Cholangiography/Cholecystography Mammography Pyelogram Cystography Arthrogram Hysterosalpingography Skeletal survey Angiography Angiocardiography Aortography Venography Lymphogram

Industrial:	Radiographic testing

3D / XCT

Medical:	CT pulmonary angiogram Computed tomography of the heart Computed tomography of the abdomen and pelvis Virtual colonoscopy CT angiography Computed tomography of the head Quantitative computed tomography Spiral computed tomography High resolution CT Whole body imaging Full-body CT scan Electron beam tomography

Industrial:	Industrial computed tomography

Other

Fluoroscopy

MRI

Ultrasound

Radionuclide

2D / scintigraphy

Cholescintigraphy Scintimammography Ventilation/perfusion scan Radionuclide ventriculography Radionuclide angiography Radioisotope renography Sestamibi parathyroid scintigraphy Radioactive iodine uptake test Bone scintigraphy Immunoscintigraphy

full body:	Octreotide scan Gallium 67 scan Indium-111 WBC scan

3D / ECT

SPECT gamma ray: Myocardial perfusion imaging

PET (positron):	Brain PET Cardiac PET PET mammography PET-CT

Optical laser

Thermography

Breast thermography

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike; additional terms may apply for the media files.

Barium meal

See also

References