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Both a barium swallow and a barium meal test involve you swallowing a liquid suspension of barium sulphate before a series of X-rays are taken of your upper digestive tract. In a barium swallow test, X-ray images are taken of your pharynx (throat) and your oesophagus (the passageway that connects your throat to your stomach; sometimes called your gullet).

In a barium meal test, X-ray images are taken of your stomach and the beginning of your duodenum (the beginning of your small intestine, the passageway that takes food away from your stomach). A barium meal test is often performed straight after a barium swallow test.

Barium is a naturally occurring element that appears white on X-ray. In these tests, the barium is given as a cup of flavoured drink - like a milkshake. When swallowed, barium coats the walls of the digestive tract, which allows the shape of your upper digestive tract to be outlined on an X-ray. Without the barium your upper digestive tract would be barely visible on X-ray.

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Q: What is the difference between a barium meal and a barium swallow?
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What is barium swallow?

It's a fluid which has barium in it - Barium is radioactive, and shows up on X-rays. The barium 'meal' (as it's also called) is used by doctors to observe the passages of fluid etc through the digestive tract.


What is a Barium meal?

It is a medical concoction that is used to provide contrast in the X-rays, during an Upper G.I. exam. It is comprised of Barium Sulphate.


Is it better to take Tums with water or another substance?

Nope, it is best to chew em up and swallow em as is. If you drink water you will dilute them and get less of an antacid result. If you are taking them for the calcium it is actually better to take them will a meal though.


Why is barium sulfate used in xray diagnosis of gastrointestinal system?

The practice of clinical diagnostic radiology has been made possible by advances not only in diagnostic equipment and investigative techniques, but also in the contrast media that permit visualisation of the details of the internal structure or organs that would not otherwise be demonstrable.There are numerous types of contrast media which have different applications, depending on their differing chemical and physical properties. Radiological contrast media are usually water soluble solutions, but there is one commonly used variety that is based on a suspension of large insoluble particles. This is the barium sulphate mixture that is used for barium meal and barium enema examinations of the upper and lower gastrointestinal tracts. Barium sulphate suspensions have better coating properties than the iodinated contrast media, and tend to form thin layers spread over the lining of the gut.surMe


What is barium sulfate used for?

Catalyst supportBarium sulfate is a low surface area material used as a support for selectively hydrogenating functional groups sensitive to overreduction. With a low surface area, the contact time of the substrate with the catalyst is shorter. A supported palladium catalyst on barium sulfate, and doped (poisoned) with quinoline hydrogenates alkynes into cis-alkenes. Alkenes are liable to be hydrogenated further into alkanes, which reaction the special support and poison prevent.Radiocontrast agentBarium sulfate is frequently used clinically as a radiocontrast agent for X-ray imaging and other diagnostic procedures. It is most often used in imaging of the GI tract during what is colloquially known as a 'barium meal'.It is administered, orally or by enema, as a suspension of fine particles in an aqueous solution (often with sweetening agents added). Although barium is a heavy metal, and its water-soluble compounds are often highly toxic, the extremely low solubility of barium sulfate protects the patient from absorbing harmful amounts of the metal. Barium sulfate is also readily removed from the body, unlike Thorotrast, which it replaced. Due to the relatively high atomic number (Z = 56) of barium, its compounds absorb X-rays more strongly than compounds derived from lighter nuclei.PigmentBarium sulfate mixtures are used as white pigment for paints. In oil paint, barium sulfate is almost transparent,and is used as a filler or to modify consistency. One major manufacturer of artists' oil paint sells "permanent white" that contains a mixture of titanium white pigment and barium sulfate. Barium sulfate itself is called blanc fixe (French for "permanent white"). The combination of barium sulfate and zinc sulfide (ZnS) is called lithopone.PyrotechnicsBarium sulfate is commonly used as a component of "strobe" pyrotechnic compositions.Barium sulfate is also used as a high temperature oxidizer in certain pyrotechnic formulas, as barium compounds emit a green light when burned. Barium nitrate is more common in green pyrotechnic formulas, as it contains an oxidizer while still producing green colored light.Other usesBarium sulfate is used as a filler in plastics and as a component of oil well drilling fluid to increase the density. It is also used in Episal salt, brake linings, anacoustic foams, powder coatings, and root canal filling.Barium sulfate is also used during the procedure of the soil pH test. In this test it is used so that it precipitates out any particles (usually clay particles) which would otherwise 'cloud' solution preventing one from seeing the colour of the pH indicator i.e. the result of the test.In colorimetry barium sulfate is used as a near-perfect diffuser when measuring light sources.In photography it is used as a coating for certain photographic papers.In metal casting, the moulds used are often coated with barium sulfate in order to prevent the molten metal from bonding with the mould.

Related questions

Is it safe to take a regular X-ray while there is still barium contrast in the body from a previous cat scan?

Yes. In fact, barium is often put into the body before regular x-rays to outlinet the gut (in the case of barium meal, barium follow-through and barium swallow).


What is barium swallow?

It's a fluid which has barium in it - Barium is radioactive, and shows up on X-rays. The barium 'meal' (as it's also called) is used by doctors to observe the passages of fluid etc through the digestive tract.


Dose of barium in Barium meal follow-through?

50 gm


Is there any difference between the meaning of meal-ticket and meal fees?

meaning of meal


What is a Barium meal?

It is a medical concoction that is used to provide contrast in the X-rays, during an Upper G.I. exam. It is comprised of Barium Sulphate.


What bird is with you at every meal A swallow Explain joke?

The joke "What bird is with you at every meal? A swallow" is a play on words, or a pun. A swallow is a type of bird, and it is also what you do to your food when you eat.


What is the difference between meals and food?

A meal is food but not all food is a meal. An apple is food but you can't call it a meal.


What is the difference between sampling and random sampling?

Tatti meal


What is the difference between maize-flour and maize-meal?

the size of the grain


What is the medical term meaning procedure in which a patient has to drink a barium drink and have x-rays taken at intervals in a general x-ray room but not fluoroscopy?

This procedure is called Barium Meal and follow through-( Ba meal FT)


What bird is present but never seen at every meal?

A swallow.


What element is given as a meal for internal x-rays?

Doctors may give you a barium meal to show up parts of the upper digestive tract.