A barium follow-through is a medical imaging procedure used to examine the small intestine. It primarily involves drinking a contrast agent and taking timed X-rays.
Understanding the Procedure
The purpose of a barium follow-through is to observe how a contrast liquid, called barium, moves through and coats the lining of your small intestine. This helps doctors visualize the structure and function of this part of your digestive system to identify potential issues like blockages, inflammation, or structural abnormalities.
Steps Involved in a Barium Follow Through
Based on the provided information, the procedure typically involves these key steps:
- Drinking the Barium: You will be asked to drink several cupsful of dilute barium. This liquid has a chalky taste and consistency, but it is essential for coating the small intestine for imaging.
- Timed X-ray Imaging: After you drink the barium, x-rays will be taken at 20-minute intervals using different sets of equipment.
- Following the Barium: These sequential X-rays are taken over time to follow the barium as it moves along your small bowel. This allows the medical team to track its progress and get images of different sections of the small intestine.
The entire process can take several hours, depending on how quickly the barium travels through your small intestine. The medical staff will monitor the barium's movement and continue taking images until it reaches the end of the small bowel.
What the Barium Does
The barium acts as a contrast medium. When X-rays are passed through the body, they are absorbed differently by various tissues and substances. Barium is opaque to X-rays, meaning it blocks them. As it coats the inside of the small intestine, it makes the outline of the small bowel visible on the X-ray images, highlighting any irregularities.
