Barium enema is one of the methods used to diagnose colorectal lesions.
The principle is to use a barium enema, from the anus injected dilute barium and then injected a small amount of gas, so that the rectum, all colon and cecum development. Then through the ray exclusion preparation in the body to determine whether there is a form of change in the body to determine whether there is space occupying and ulcerative disease, barium high density, when the ray through the white shadow, the surrounding tissue black, obvious contrast, easy to distinguish.
Barium enema consists of simple barium enema and barium contrast. The former is used to evaluate patients with obstruction and fistula. The latter is currently the most commonly used X-ray examination of the large intestine. It can observe mucosal manifestations and detect small lesions, and can be used to detect various diseases of the large intestine such as space-occupying lesions (colorectal cancer), inflammatory lesions, diverticula, intestinal aerocele, intussusception and congenital megacolon.
Before barium enema, the intestinal tract needs to be prepared, and the stool in the large intestine should be cleaned thoroughly, which can reduce the interference of stool to the lesion display, and small lesions can be found early. Cleansing methods include oral purgative (e.g., magnesium sulfate), cleansing enema, etc
Barium enema alone is a retrograde injection of 800-1000ML of diluted barium from the anus after the bowel is prepared, and is the most commonly used method.
The double barium enema rule is a few minutes before the barium enema, intramuscular injection of anticholinergic drugs (to relax the smooth muscle of the large intestine). Reinfuse about 1000ml of dilute barium retrograde and inject appropriate amount of air (about 300ml) at the same time. With this method, small lesions can be detected by the dual display of barium and gas, and the morphology, size and edge of lesions can be fully displayed.
Note that barium enema should not be performed immediately after colonoscopy.
Barium enema is also an effective method to treat intussusception in children.