Barium Enema
Two days before your appointment:
- Purchase the following from your pharmacy:
- 1 bottle of magnesium citrate oral solution;
- 3 Bisacodyl tablets; and
- 1 suppository.
- Do not eat anything after 6:00 pm.
On the day before the examination:
Breakfast
- Clear liquids only. Clear liquids include clear soup, plain Jell-O, clear juice (apple, grape, cranberry), strained orange juice or drink made with crystals such as Tang. Popsicle, pop (Ginger Ale or 7-Up). Tea or coffee. No milk or milk products.
12 Noon Lunch
- Continue clear liquids. No milk or milk products.
12:30 p.m. (or 1/2 hour after lunch)
- Drink entire bottle of magnesium citrate oral solution over ice. A strong bowel cleansing action should be expected in 3 to 6 hours after drinking this preparation.
1 p.m.
- Drink 225 ml (8 oz) water.
3 p.m.
- Take all Bisacodyl tablets with a large glass of water. Swallow tablets whole, one at a time (do not crush or chew the tablets).
4 p.m.
- Drink 225 ml (8 oz) water.
5 p.m.
- Liquid dinner.
6 p.m.
- Drink 225 ml (8 oz) water.
9 p.m.
- Drink 225 ml (8 oz) water.
10 p.m.
- Remove foil wrapper from suppository and insert into rectum as far as possible. Wait at least 10-15 minutes before expelling, if possible, even if the urge is strong.
On the day of the examination:
Do not have any food or fluids until after the examination. You may take your regular medications with a sip of water.
Bone Mineral Densitometry (BMD)
There are no special preparations required for this procedure.
Small Bowel Follow Through
- No food or drink after midnight the night before the exam.
- Take medication as normal the night before the exam. Delay taking your morning medication until after the exam, if possible. Essential medication may be taken with a sip of water.
- This procedure can take from 1 to 4 hours to complete.
Upper GI, Barium Swallow
- No food or drink after midnight the night before the exam.
- Take medication as normal the night before the exam. Delay taking your morning medication until after the exam, if possible. Essential medication may be taken with a sip of water.
X-ray
There are no special preparations required for this procedure.
How do I contact Diagnostic Imaging Services?
Queen Elizabeth Hospital
60 Riverside Drive
PO Box 6600
Charlottetown, PE C1A 8T5
Telephone: (902) 894-2944
Prince County Hospital
65 Roy Boates Avenue
PO Box 3000
Summerside, PE C1N 2A9
Telephone: (902) 438-4200
Souris Hospital
17 Knights Avenue
PO Box 640
Souris, PE C0A 2B0
Telephone: (902) 687-7150
Kings County Memorial Hospital
409 MacIntyre Avenue
PO Box 490
Montague, PE C0A 1R0
Telephone: (902) 838-0757
Community Hospital
O'Leary
14 MacKinnon Drive
PO Box 160
O'Leary, PE C0B 1V0
Telephone: (902) 853-3163
Toll-free: 1-833-565-1380
Western Hospital
148 Poplar Street
PO Box 10
Alberton, PE C0B 1B0
Telephone: (902) 853-3163
Toll-free:
1-833-565-1380
We’ve updated our privacy policy so that we are compliant with changing global privacy regulations and to provide you with insight into the limited ways in which we use your data.
You can read the details below. By accepting, you agree to the updated privacy policy.
Thank you!
View updated privacy policy
We've encountered a problem, please try again.
Patient preparation is extremely important for ensuring that a high-quality image is produced and that errors are avoided (Table 3). For instance, incorrect patient preparation can lead to "ghost images" which can render the radiographic image undiagnostic. While ghost images often occur due to metallic objects, they can also occur due to anatomical structures located outside the image layer or focal trough. Ghost images always appear higher and distorted on the opposite side of the radiographic image (see Figure 4). Some errors are unavoidable due to the patient’s stature, facial asymmetry, or difficulty following instructions.8
Table 3. Patient Preparation Guidelines.
| Jewelry | All necklaces, piercings (earrings, tongue rings, etc.) and jewelry in the head and neck regions need to be removed prior to exposure. |
| Metal objects | Items such as headbands, bobby pins, hair clips, hearing aids, etc. must be removed prior to exposure. Removable partial dentures and orthodontic appliances should be taken out prior to imaging. |
| Lead Apron | Apron must not have a thyroid collar and should be placed properly so it does not block the x-ray beam. |
An important item to include when preparing the patient is the use of a lead apron, which is recommended for all radiographic procedures. Lead aprons help provide protection for radiosensitive tissues in the neck, chest, reproductive areas, and blood forming tissue. In addition, lead aprons stop nearly 98% of scattered radiation from reaching reproductive organs. There are lead-free aprons that use an alloy material instead of lead. They are 50% lighter and safer for patients and clinicians because they are lead-free.9
While thyroid collars are not indicated for panoramic imaging, they are effective for use during intraoral imaging, because they have been shown to stop 92% of scatter radiation9 One study revealed that only 2% of the general dentists surveyed report using a lead apron with a thyroid shield prior to taking radiographs.7
Figure 4. Appearance of Ghost Image.
Figure 4. Appearance of Ghost Image.
Image source: BR L. Iwata, DDS
The patient’s earrings were not removed prior to imaging. Therefore, a ghost image is present. In the example, the image of the actual left earring is on the right side and the ghost image of the left earring is on the left side of the image. Ghost images appear distorted, higher, and on the opposite side of the panoramic radiograph. The other error that can be observed in the panoramic image, is that the chin is too low. This causes the spine to be more pronounced on both sides of the image.