APPOINTMENT FOR A BARIUM ENEMA
Your doctor has referred you for a barium enema at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital. The details of your appointment are NAME: DATE: TIME: Please telephone the X-ray department on 020 8746 8570/8567 (Monday - Friday, 9.00am 5.00pm) if you are unable to attend. You should also telephone the X-ray Department if you suffer from diabetes, are pregnant, or have any reason to suspect that you may be pregnant.
Picolax instructions Take one sachet at 8.00 am Take a quarter of a cup of water - add PICOLAX (it fizzes up and becomes hot) - allow to settle and top up with cold water - drink. Take the second sachet in the afternoon, before 4.00 pm. Please note: These are strong laxatives and you will need to remain close to a toilet. Drink at least one glass of water EVERY HOUR. DAY THREE - ie the day you are coming in. Tea and toast may be taken in the morning for breakfast and then continue with clear fluids.
How long will the investigation take?
The examination time is variable but you should allow 30 minutes - 1 hour.
What are the risks and benefits?
We are all exposed to background radiation every day of our lives. This comes from the ground and building materials, the air that we breathe, the food we eat and from outer space (cosmic rays). Even flying in an aircraft increases our level of exposure. In the UK the largest contribution is from radon gas which seeps out of the ground and accumulates in our houses. This is normal and natural. Each medical X-ray or nuclear medicine examination gives us a small additional dose. The level of dose varies with the type of examination, ranging from the equivalent of a few days of natural background radiation to a few years. The low doses do not cause any immediate harmful effects, but it is possible that there is a very slight increase in the chance of cancer occurring many years or even decades later. But remember that we all have a one in three chance of getting cancer even if we never have an X-ray. If you are pregnant, or think you might be pregnant, please tell us because there is a risk to the unborn foetus.
What is a barium enema?
This investigation allows the doctor to examine your large bowel. When you arrive at the X-ray Department you will be asked to change into a gown and to lie on an X-ray table. A nurse will then gently insert a small tube into your back passage (rectum), and one of the X-ray doctors will then begin to run a white liquid (barium) into the large bowel. At this stage of the investigation, it may be necessary for you to have a small injection in the arm to relax the bowel. Once the bowel is completely coated with the barium, some will be drained out and replaced by air or carbon dioxide.The doctor will use an X-ray camera to take pictures of the bowel. As soon as the investigation is complete, you will be taken straight to a private toilet adjacent to the X-ray room where you should spend at least ten minutes evacuating any residual barium left in the bowel. It is important to take your time.
Before you come in
If you are diabetic, please inform the X-ray Department before you start the preparation. Please stop any stomach medicines or laxatives normally taken, TWO nights before the examination. DAY ONE - ie two days before you come in. You must avoid: meat, fruit, green vegetables You may eat: fish, chicken, cheese, eggs, white bread, potatoes, and any fluids DAY TWO- ie the day before you come in. You may only take fluids ie clear soup, water, plain yoghurt, ice-cream, milk, tea, coffee and alcohol.
The dosage in a barium enema scan is higher than other examinations it is the equivalent of four and a half years of background exposure. It also exposes other organs of the body to the radiation – such as the spleen and the reproductive organs. The benefits of using radiation in medical imaging are that doctors are able to diagnose what is wrong and consequently give you the right treatment. If your treatment depends on the findings then it may be the risk to your health from not having the examination is much greater than the risk from radiation.
Our Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS), located on the ground floor of the hospital opposite the escalators can help if you have any concerns about any aspect of our services, need any information about accessing healthcare or have any suggestions or queries. The team provide a confidential service and can be contacted on 020 8846 6727 or emailed at pals@chelwest.nhs.uk Alternatively, you can feedback your comments/suggestions on one of our comment cards, available at the PALS office or on a feedback form on our website. Chelsea and Westminster Hospital operates a strict no smoking policy. Patients are asked not to smoke in or around the hospital building.
BARIUM ENEMA
Information for patients
Where do I go for my examination?
When you come to the hospital for your investigation please make your way to lift bank D at the back of the building and take the lift to the first floor, where you will find the X-ray Department. Please report to the main reception where you will receive further instructions.
This leaflet was produced by the Imaging Department at Chelsea and Westminster Healthcare NHS Trust
Chelsea and Westminster Hospital 369 Fulham Road London SW10 9NH Tel: 020 8746 8000 Web: www.chelwest.nhs.uk
Published July 2006. Reviewed in July 2008
Chelsea and Westminster Healthcare
NHS Trust