My doctor ordered the upper GI with barium to see if I have the stomach bacteria that causes cancer and other stomach and esophogus problems. Can you tell me how that works.
2007-06-24 04:48:32 · 5 answers · asked by Jeanne B 7 in Health ➔ Diseases & Conditions ➔ Other - Diseases
An upper GI with barium study defines the shape of your esophagus and stomach and small intestines. It does NOT tell you anything about the bacteria in your stomach. He is probably looking for any structural abnormalities.
2007-06-24 04:52:20 · answer #1 · answered by Eddie 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I'm an x-ray tech so I am very familiar with the Upper GI exam. The above posters pretty much described the procedure but I just want to add a few things. You will have to stay in the room with your child during the procedure to make sure your child won't fall off the table. You will be wearing a heavy lead apron. Make sure you keep that on and it's secure so you won't be exposed to unnecessary radiation. You will also have to hold your child very still so the radiologist can get good images with the fluroscopy camera. Try to hold him very still because motion will cause artifacts on the images which will make it difficult to see what's going on. If your child uses a binky, make sure you bring one so it will soothe him. You and your child will enter a room with a table and a big camera. they will have barium ready in a baby bottle for him/her to drink. There are different ways of doing the procedure. Some radiologist will have the baby drink, and the x-ray tech will take a series of images and other radiologist will watch under the fluoro camera as your child drinks. I've seen it done both ways. The x-ray tech will be moving your child around, turning him/her to get different views of the stomach.
2016-05-19 01:25:03 · answer #2 · answered by frankie 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
IT doesnt find any bacteria. The thing is.. when you have bacteria living in your colon it can eat through the wallos of the colon or cause bloackage of sorts that will dialate your colon. When you swallow that white barrium goo it coats the walls of your stomach and colon. When an Xray is done after the swallow they can see your colon in bright white color. If there is a fistula or a dilation it will be very obvious to the doctor. But in order to find bacteria he needs to do a stool sample or something like that
2007-06-24 04:58:19 · answer #3 · answered by Irina MD 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It would actually detect if the integrity of the lining of either was compromised. The H-Pylori would cause inflammation or gastritis in the case of the stomach. This in itself would be indicative of whether there was bacteria present. A blood test would be the follow up.
2007-06-24 04:56:54 · answer #4 · answered by Deirdre O 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
1) they make you drink the barium first
2) they make you lay on the x-ray table
3) they take a x-ray machine that takes pictures of your upper
GI tract and it finds many different cancers and stomach
problems and esophogus problems
2007-06-24 04:54:45 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋