Can someone explain the barium thing?

[Drummer211]

The docter ordered this in order to see more of my small bowl. However, im cocerned about radiation. Im still a teenager so would my age increase the risk? My mom also said that when they do a barium thing she thinks they take multiple consecutive pictures. If thats true, isnt it worse than a regular ct scan as you would be exposed to multiple doses of radiation? What is the lowest amount of mSv should a child having this scan recieve( the maximum too)? How bad does the barium taste?

Edit: From looking at other threads, the barium thing seems to not be an ct scan, but the docter said a barium ct scan. Im confused

 

[Jennifer]

Barium can be used for an x-ray or CT scan. I've been getting those scans and x-rays since I was 9 years old (I'm 29 now) and the radiation never affected me. Sorry I don't have numbers as the amounts of radiation you get from these tests are insignificant unless you have them done frequently. X-rays have less radiation than CT scans because they use less radiation to take the image as the amount can be adjusted (google search "too much radiation ct scan" and you'll find news reports about it but don't get scared). One CT scan isn't going to kill you or give you cancer but multiple ones, I'd question your doctor's sanity and see someone else.

Barium is more commonly used with X-rays cause there's less radiation but a CT scan will show more than an x-ray so its a toss up really.

In my opinion, the radiation isn't worth the worry unless you're having it done frequently. Most of the time, the diagnosis or locating the diseased portion is more important than the amount of radiation you get in one test. Also the dosage of radiation is reduced for children as their organs are still developing.

Long term research on radiation levels (life expectancy really) for these tests have not been done and really can't be done for the next ~30 years because Ct scanners are a new form of technology.

Barium has very recently been changed to be more creamy in texture and more concentrated so you drink less of it (just one cup) and it tastes better than it used to (almost like pineapple/citrus... sort of?). I don't know if every hospital has switched to the new barium so if yours is like the one above, then hooray for you cause you got the new barium. The old barium is much more chalky and you have to drink a lot of it and good lord does it taste like yuck. They used to put Tang in it when I was a kid to try and make it taste better. Still tasted like yuck. Drinking it chilled and with a straw for the old barium makes it a little less horrid but its still horrid so try to chug chug chug.

After you drink the barium they wait a bit (maybe have you walk around some) to let the barium work its way through your system. They usually take an x-ray or two or three to see if the barium has worked its way through yet and then do the actual x-rays (haven't had a CT scan done in a while so I dunno if they will do x-rays before the CT or just wait a certain amount of time and just hope for the best).

Edit: Barium can either make you constipated or it can make you have diarrhea (I get the latter). Either way, its important to drink lots and lots of water afterward to clean it all out and keep you hydrated.

 

[izzi'smom]

Barium and sb x-ray is called a small bowel follow through. THey take a "scout" to be sure there is no obvious stool or other contrast, give you barium, and take films at regular intervals until it reaches your large intestine. They fluoro (live x-ray) the junction between the l & sm intestine and you should be done. The barium is fruity and chalky.
Barium is also used for CT. I am not as familiar with this study, though...

Organ and effective doses can be up to five times higher with CT than with SBFT. (This depends on many factors, including technique used, how long "live" fluoro is used, if CT scanner has dose reduction software).
It is up to you and your doc to determine if the risk is worth the result. If you are concerned, you can always ask if another test will provide similar results with less radiation. (I requested an MRI for dd because of her age and because I am assuming she will have much more imaging in her life, some of which may be urgent, in which case CT will be a better choice).
Good luck!