Barium enema volume

What is the volume of a Barium Enema? is it standard procedure to administer the full amount?are they all done with an inflatable nozzle?

If a Full Column procedure is being performed they will typically use 2000cc to 2500cc. Most exams are an Air Contrast procedure which usually involves up to 1000cc of barium with 1500cc to 2500cc of air. The entire system including the bag and nozzle are single use disposable, although the inflation bulbs for the nozzle and the air are reusable since they are not in contact with the patient. The type of nozzle is the choice of the Radiologist or technician and may or may not involve the use of an inflatable tip, although the most common system used for ACBE does come prepackaged with an inflatable nozzle.

The most common system used in North America is from EZ-EM. This clip from the movie Gun Shy has some good close ups of the EZ-EM Air Contrast system, filled with 2000cc of what appears to be real barium contrast media. I would guess that Sandra had a proper tutorial from an actual technician since she has all the right moves. Unfortunately the sequence of the nozzle inflation may have hit the cutting room floor, however there is a hint at 0:40 - 0:45.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cnk_aBLwiyk

What if your capacity is larger than 2500ml?do they fill you completely? I only have 1 Kidney, and cant take the liquid or laxitive prep.would they prep me the old fashioned way with enemas till clear? it wouldn't be a problem,as I can tolerate large volume enemas...

Manybags, the objective is to coat the bowel with barium, not necessarily to fill the bowel. The intestines are relatively transparent to x-rays, therefore the coating of barium is the only way to provide a means to image them. The large volume used in a Full Column Single Contrast, and the air used for Air Contrast, is intended to "smooth the wrinkles" and display areas which may otherwise be hidden in folds of the bowel. The volume used cannot be predicted in advance, it is a matter of when the Radiologist feels they have seen every inch of the colon from all possible angles.

Patients with renal insufficiency should not use oral electrolyte overload prep methods such as Fleet Oral or Magnesium Citrate solutions under any circumstances. A recommended and safe alternative is X-Prep, which is a natural source laxative made with extracts of Senna and Cascara Sagrada. Diabetics must use caution with X-Prep as it formulated with a sucrose base, however the sucrose usually provides collateral carbohydrates during the required fasting period. Any patient with Diabetes and/or kidney issues should make sure their physician is aware of them, and they should follow their physician's directives carefully to avoid complications.

Thanks for your help, Doc.I havent had a physical in over 40yrs,and I'm 62 now.it was suggested to Me to get checked-out,but high blood pressure, and only one kidney with a stone complicates things.on top of it all, laxitives make Me sick,and my situation at home make self prep impossible....do they still do preps at the place of the testing?