​Is barium sulfate a precipitate?

Barium sulfate is a chemical reagent that can be used in medicine. It can be used to make x double contrast agents and high-density gastrointestinal contrast agents. The proportions must be strictly followed during production and cannot be randomly configured, otherwise the double contrast effect will not be achieved. Contrast agents can be used to examine gastrointestinal diseases, so does barium sulfate precipitate? Let’s take a look with the editor below.

It is commonly used in gastrointestinal tract imaging. According to reports from domestic users, uneven coarse and fine barium sulfate is better than fine and uniform barium sulfate. Use with caution in patients with certain intestinal diseases that are prone to intestinal fistula formation and perforation, such as appendicitis, diverticulum, ulcerative enteritis, parasitic infection, etc.

Commonly used introduction methods include oral administration, small intestine enema and colon enema.

(1) Esophageal examination

Oral administration of 15 to 60 ml of barium solution [concentration 60% to 250% (W/V)] can immediately observe the esophagus and its peristalsis. Before taking the barium solution, take gas-producing drugs first, which can be used for double contrast examination of the esophagus.

(2) Double contrast examination of the stomach and duodenum

Fast for more than 6 hours, take gas-producing drugs orally, and after 300-500 ml of CO2 gas is produced in the stomach, you can first take 70-100 ml of barium [concentration 200%-250% (W/V), viscosity 150-300 mPas] orally, and let the patient turn over several times to allow the barium to be evenly coated on the gastric mucosa. If necessary, take another 150 ml of barium. If 20 minutes before the contrast examination, give the patient hypotonic drugs (such as injection of scopolamine, or oral atropine, etc.), and take oral gastric clearing enzymes to clean the gastric juice, and then perform a double contrast examination, the surface structure of the gastric mucosa can be displayed more clearly.

(3) Gastrointestinal single contrast follow-up examination

After fasting for more than 6 hours, the morphology and peristalsis of the stomach and duodenum can be observed immediately after orally taking 240-480 ml of 40%-120% (W/V) barium; the morphology and peristalsis of the small intestine can be observed after 15-30 minutes; the morphology and peristalsis of the entire small intestine can be observed after 1.5 hours; and the ileocecal area and right half of the large intestine can be observed after 2-6 hours.

(4) Small bowel enema examination

After fasting for 8 to 12 hours, 800 to 2400 ml of barium with a concentration of 30% to 80% (W/V) is introduced directly into the duodenum or proximal jejunum through a special catheter for segmental small intestinal examination. If necessary, perform double contrast examination directly instead of single contrast examination.

(5) Colon enema examination

Eat liquid or semi-liquid food 1 to 3 days before the examination, use appropriate amount of laxatives when necessary, and clean the intestines 1 to 2 hours before the examination. A tube is inserted into the colon through the anus, and contrast medium is injected to fill the entire large intestine for imaging. After injecting barium with a concentration of 20% to 60% (W/V), fluoroscopy and radiography are performed, which is single-contrast imaging. Then most of the barium is expelled and gas is injected to fill the large intestine, which is double-contrast imaging. When performing direct double contrast colonography, first inject 150 to 300 ml of barium with a concentration of 60% to 80% (W/V) through the catheter, turn the body position and inject gas so that the barium and gas fill the entire large intestine, and then perform double contrast colonography. To achieve good results, hypotonic drugs such as glucagon or scopolamine are often injected intramuscularly or intravenously before the injection of contrast agent.