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An upper G.I./small bowel series is an X-ray examination
of the upper digestive tract, which includes the esophagus,
stomach and small intestine, providing a detailed view of
the upper digestive tract.
You will be advised not to eat after midnight the evening
before the exam.
Generally, the exam may not be advisable for pregnant women,
or anyone who cannot remain completely still in certain positions
for extended periods of time. Inform your physician if either
of these conditions apply to you.
In preparation for the procedure, you will be asked to remove
your clothes and put on a hospital gown. You will be given
a liquid barium mixture to drink and then will be asked at
certain intervals to swallow a substance (referred to as “fizzies”)
that produces a gas in the stomach.
You then will lie on an examination table, which will be
tilted, and a fluoroscope will be positioned above you, so
that the body’s organs can be viewed on a screen and
recorded on X-ray film.
You will be asked to turn from side to side, and to hold
different positions.
You may be asked to drink additional amount of the barium
mixture during the procedure, and periodically, you will
be asked to hold your breath and stay perfectly still. At
these times, the X-rays are being taken. The sliding and
snapping sounds you will hear is the film cassette moving
into place.
The upper G.I. exam usually takes less than one hour. The
small bowel series takes between 30 minutes and four hours.
You will need to wait until the radiologist has examined
the X-rays to ensure that they are acceptable.
To help you eliminate any remaining barium, a laxative may
be recommended.
After the examination is interpreted by the radiologist,
a written report will be sent to your physician.
While a generally safe procedure, it does involve radiation.
As such, the benefits of having it performed should outweigh
any associated radiation risks.
, please contact our chief
technologists at 732-923- 6800 or the medical physicist
at 732-923-6811.
Click
here for the informational brochure (pdf),
available as a PDF (portable document format) file.
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