Medical Questions » Radiology Questions » Question No. 839
| Question: | I have an X-ray request slip from my doctor to have an air-contrast barium enema done. What will happen to me? |
| Answer: | This is an X-ray that shows the lower part of the gut from the anus up to the appendix, and sometimes the last part of the small intestine. This part of the gut is about one and a half metres long in an adult.
The day before the X-ray, you will have to use special medicines to clean out all the faeces from the gut. When you go to the radiologist' s rooms, you will be undressed and lie on your side on a rather narrow table. A small tube will be placed in your back passage, and through this a mixture of barium will be run into the large gut. You may be given injections in the arm to relax you and the gut during the procedure.
You will be rolled around from side to side while X-rays are taken, and air will be introduced into the gut to display any abnormalities more readily. The procedure may be a little uncomfortable when your gut is inflated with air, but this settles rapidly.
After half to one hour, all the pictures necessary will have been taken, and you will be asked to go to the toilet to pass the barium mixture that was previously introduced. Your bowel function will return to normal after a couple of days.
The procedure can diagnose most diseases of the lower gut, and will only be requested if your doctor considers there are good reasons for doing it.
|
|
|
