The double contrast meal--new high density barium sulphate powders.

Abstract

It is clear that there is continuing interest by radiologists in methods of carrying out double contrast barium meals (Saxton, 1977). It is also clear that many radiologists have been disappointed by the results obtained using methods described in the literature. I believe that there are two main reasons for this disappointment: (a) most writers have described rather elaborate, inflexible and time-consuming methods of examination; (b) the barium sulphate preparations currently used give poor mucosal coating. These two reasons are interrelated—poor barium sulphate suspension means that a longer contact with the mucosa is necessary to achieve even reasonable coating. Paralysing agents are thus used to delay gastric emptying in order to prolong the mucosal contact, to assist in uniform distension and to diminish unwanted peristalsis. These are desirable effects but the advantages are outweighed by the consequent increase in time for examination which we have measured to be in excess of 50%. The other problem which has deterred many radiologists is the difficulty in getting consistently good mucosal coating using presently available barium sulphate suspensions even with paralysing agents.