Special X-ray examination

Special X-ray examination

             Diagnostic Radiology Department, Vibhavadi Hospital provides a special X-ray/ radiology examination service. There are a variety to make the diagnosis more effective, such as IVP, Barium Swallowing, UGI, Long GI, BE, HSG, etc., which will be described in detail as follows.

1. Urinary tract examination (Intra-Venous Pyelography: IVP)

It is a special radiological examination of the urinary tract by examining the function of the urinary system, such as the kidneys, ureters, and bladder. It also observes abnormalities from the urinary tract obstruction, such as gallstones, by intravenous injecting a contrast media along with radiography

Guidelines for preparation before examination

1. Eat soft food (porridge or congee) for dinner in the day before the examination.

2. Before the examination day, take a laxative at 8:00 p.m. (Caster Oil 30 cc, Dulcolax 2   tablets).

3. Refrain water and food 4-6 hours before the examination.

4. Bring an old film or film from another hospital with you every time.

Examination process

• Before examination

• The patient needs to follow with the instruction of examination.
• Patients with a history of seafood allergy/allergy/asthma need to notify the staff before examination.
• The staff will ask the patient to sign a consent form for the examination with the contrast media injection.

• During examination

• The staff will let you change the hospital's clothes and discard urine to prepare for examination and take 1 radiograph in a lying position.
• The nurse will inject a contrast media into the vein.
• During the injection of contrast media, the patient may feel hot flashes on the body and bitterness in the throat. The patient should take a deep breath and don't just swallow saliva. These symptoms will gradually decrease in 5-10 minutes.
• After the contrast media injection, the patient cannot urinate until the staffs allow.
• The staff will take radiographs according to the examination process. They will wait for full urination and then they will take 1 more X-ray image.
• The staff will let the patient urinate completely and take another X-ray.

• After examination

• The patient change clothes by leaving the used clothes in the basket.
• After examination, the patient can drink water and eat normally.
• The patient should drink plenty of water. The injected contrast media will not remain or be absorbed by the body. It will be excreted with the urine.

2. Esophageal examination (Barium Swallowing)

It is a radiological examination of the esophagus by drinking a contrast media, such as barium sulphate with X-ray imaging to see abnormalities in the esophagus that are causing swallowing problems.

Preparation before examination

• If there is an old film, you should bring it on the appointment date. You need to come 10-15 minutes before the appointment time. The staff can prepare the patient before the radiologist enters the examination room. Moreover, you should be accompanied by relatives.

Examination process

1. The patient lies down with prone position on the x-ray bed. Then, you hold the barium powder in your mouth and swallow the barium powder when the radiologist tells you. While the radiologist performs X-rays, the patient must cooperate in changing positions as instructed by the radiologist or staff.

2. When the x-rays have completed, the radiologist will bring the film to observe and make sure that the X-ray film is completed or need to image more. If the radiologist has finished examining the film, it is considered the completion of the examination.

3. Gastric examination (Upper GI Study / Barium meal)

It is an examination of the upper gastrointestinal tract, such as the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum by swallowing a powder-like contrast media to check for abnormalities of the upper gastrointestinal tract together with radiography.

Guidelines for preparation before examination

   1. Refrain water and food 4-6 hours before the examination.

   2. Bring an old film or film from another hospital with you every time.

Examination process

• Before examination

• The patient needs to follow with the instruction of examination.

• During checking

• The staff will let you change the hospital's clothes and discard urine to prepare for examination and take 1 radiograph in a lying position.
• The radiologist will ask the patient hold and swallow about 100 cc of contrast media.
• Eno is given to the patient for a better coating with contrast media on the stomach.
• The radiologist will change the patient position during the examination to obtain the desired radiographic images. Therefore, patients should cooperate.
• The radiologist will tell you to hold your breath to get sharp images.

• After examination

• The patient change clothes by leaving the used clothes in the basket.
• After examination, the patient can drink water and eat normally.
• The patient should drink plenty of water. The injected contrast media will not remain or be absorbed by the body. It will be excreted with the urine.

4. Stomach and small intestine examination (Long GI / GI follow through)

It is a radiological examination of the small intestine to see abnormalities and pathologies. The way to do this is to swallow a powder-like contrast media drink a contrast media (barium powder) together with radiography.

X-rays will be taken at intervals of 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 45 minutes, 1 hour, 1 hour 30 minutes, 2 hours after drinking 2 glasses of barium powder to visualize different parts of the small intestine. It will be finished when the barium powder has flowed into the Caecum of the large intestine.

Preparation before examination

• Refrain from drinking water, food, and medice 6-8 hours before the scheduled time of the examination.
• If there is an old film, you should bring it on the appointment date. You need to come 10-15 minutes before the appointment time. The staff can prepare the patient before the radiologist enters the examination room. Moreover, you should be accompanied by relatives.

Examination process

1. The patient lies down with prone position on the x-ray bed. Then, you hold the barium powder in your mouth and swallow the Barium powder (approximately 300 cc / 1 glass) when the radiologist tells you. You may also need to drink an air-causing agent (ENO) to see all parts of the stomach. As the radiologist performs X-rays, the patient must cooperate to change positions as instructed by the radiologist or staff.
2. The patient must drink 1 more glass of barium powder. Then, you sit and wait for the X-rays. The end of the examination is when Barium powder has flowed into the Caecum of the large intestine.

5. Colon examination (Barium Enema)

It is a pathological examination of the large intestine by inserting a contrast media into the anus together with radiography.

Guidelines for preparation before examination

1. Eat soft food (porridge or congee) and refrain from vegetables and fruits 2 days before the examination.

2. Take a laxative at 8:00 p.m. (Caster Oil 30 cc, Dulcolax 2 tablets) for 2 days before the examination.

3. Refrain water and food after midnight of the day before the examination (in case of small children, refrain from breastfeeding 4 hours before the examination).

4. Bring an old film or film from another hospital with you every time.

• Before examination

• The patient needs to follow with the instruction of examination.
• The staff will let you change the hospital's clothes.
• The staff will take 1 radiograph to check if there is food waste in the patient's colon. If there is food waste, all the feces will be removed by a catheter, and then start further examination.

• During checking

• Staff will use an the catheter to insert into your rectum and compress air into the catheter for prevention of the flowing back contrast media.
• The staff will begin to release the contrast media into the colon and the radiologist will take radiographs in the desired areas.
• During the examination, the patient might have abdominal distension due to compression of the contrast media and air into the large intestine. Let the patient hold it first and breathe in and out deeply through the mouth. Abdominal pain will gradually decrease.
• During the X-ray examination, the doctor will ask the patient to change position to take X-rays. You should follow.
• When obtaining complete radiographs, the staff will ask the patient to defecate in the toilet and return to take another radiographic image.

• After examination

• The patient change clothes by leaving the used clothes in the basket.
• After examination, the patient can drink water and eat normally.
• The patient should drink plenty of water. The injected contrast media will not remain or be absorbed by the body. It will be excreted with the urine.

6. Fallopian tubes and uterine cavity examination (Hysterosalpingography: HSG)

It is a radiological examination of the fallopian tubes (Uterine tubes) and the uterine cavity (Uterus) to see abnormalities or blockage of the fallopian tubes for infertility, by injecting a contrast media into the uterine cavity together with radiography.

Reason for submission

• To find the cause of infertility.
• People who once had children but no longer have without using birth control.
• To find the cause of pus or water in the fallopian tubes or tumors.
• To check in people who have causes of frequent miscarriages.
• Ectopic pregnancy

Preparation for examination

   - Patients must be sure that they are not pregnant.

   - Patients should be examined 10 days after the first menstruation