It is generally accepted that a diagnostic method such as radiography is used primarily for the purpose of examining hard tissues. Indeed, the most common indication for this procedure is injuries, fractures, dislocations. But quite often, patients are prescribed an x-ray of the abdominal cavity. What does this research method show, how to prepare correctly and does it have serious contraindications?
Why do x-rays
This instrumental procedure relates to methods of radiation diagnostics, which is in demand in modern medicine. The principle of x-ray research is to study the state of internal organs and tissues by passing X-rays through them. According to the results of the diagnosis, doctors can evaluate the morphological and functional changes within the body, detect foreign bodies and neoplasms.
A Brief History of Radiography
The methodology owes its name to the inventor Wilhelm Roentgen, who managed to project gamma radiation onto paper. Later they began to use a special film, on which the image was more distinct. This non-invasive study is one of the oldest techniques in the history of medical diagnosis.
What does an abdominal x-ray show? Radiation passing through internal organs and tissues displays a picture in the form of chiaroscuro. In places where the image is faded, a conclusion is drawn about a denser structure. Today, radiographic images are stored on digital or matrix media, which allows you to display the image on a computer monitor or print the image for detailed study.
Usually an x-ray of the abdominal organs is done without the use of a contrast medium. This type of study is called a survey. If it does not allow to objectively assess the condition of the patient’s internal organs, they resort to repeated radiography, but with the use of barium sulfate.
Study with contrast
The chemical compound, which allows you to get a clearer picture of the examination, give the patient a drink immediately before the start of the diagnostic procedure. An aqueous suspension of barium can be introduced through a probe if the subject is not able to take it on their own.
What does an abdominal x-ray with barium show? This element is practically insoluble in water and biological body fluids, but at the same time it has the property of powerful absorption of gamma radiation, so that the doctor can draw conclusions about the relief of the mucous membranes of the internal organs.
Specialists carefully monitor how the contrast agent moves along the patient’s digestive system. The areas in which the barium mass accumulates are illuminated and easily visualized, which allows the radiologist to study the functionality of the esophagus, stomach, intestines, and detect tumors, obstruction, or damage.
Overview Diagnostics
This method of x-ray examination is designed to study the condition of the organs of the gastrointestinal tract and systems adjacent to the esophagus. A survey x-ray of the abdominal cavity is most often prescribed for children with suspected presence of foreign objects in the stomach. As a rule, it is recommended to conduct it in combination with other instrumental and laboratory procedures for making an accurate diagnosis.
Since the abdominal organs have a loose structure, the shadow in the image is less pronounced than that of the bones. Compared with a contrast study, the survey picture is less informative and allows you to detect only a tenth of what an abdominal x-ray with barium shows. At the same time, this type of study is quite enough to determine the patient’s organ injury or detect a foreign body in the cavity in a few minutes and without preliminary preparation.
What is the difference between fluoroscopy and radiography
X-ray, as an instrumental research procedure, cannot replace other diagnostic methods, but supplements them with objective information, and, therefore, contributes to the rapid and accurate determination of the disease. Today, doctors equally often resort to the use of both diagnostic methods. What is the difference?
- Radiography makes it possible to see changes in organs in images displayed on a photosensitive film.
- Fluoroscopy is a type of diagnosis that is performed in real time. The picture is displayed on the screen.
What an abdominal x-ray shows
From the course of school anatomy it is known that the abdominal cavity is the space delimited on the sides by the abdominal muscles, the lumbar muscles - from the back, and the front - by the peritoneum. The iliac pelvic bones are located in the lower abdomen, and the diaphragm is on top. The digestive and genitourinary systems are located in this part of the body. The first includes the stomach, esophagus, large and small intestines, liver, pancreas and gall bladder, the second includes the internal genital organs, bladder, kidneys, etc.
Knowing what the abdominal x-ray shows, you can see the real picture of the functionality of the internal organs, including determining:
- whether gases and liquids are normally distributed;
- whether in the gastrointestinal tract are accidentally swallowed objects, kidney stones, gall bladder;
- whether internal bleeding has occurred;
- if there is any damage to organs.
Who needs x-rays
This type of diagnosis is prescribed by a specialist, as a rule, in one case - in the presence of patient complaints of severe abdominal pain. The specified syndrome may indicate the presence of pathologies such as:
- acute and chronic pancreatitis;
- gallbladder inflammation and gallstone disease;
- malignant and benign formations;
- bowel obstruction;
- pyelonephritis and glomerulonephritis;
- intestinal diverticulitis;
- inflammation of appendicitis;
- serious injuries, internal bleeding.
Patients who were admitted to the hospital ward due to acute pain are first taken with an overview x-ray of the abdominal cavity. What does this type of diagnosis show and how informative is it? Usually a survey radiography is enough to get a general idea of the patient’s condition and make a plan for further actions in a matter of minutes.
How does the procedure go
The study can be carried out in any position convenient for the patient. In some cases, an image of the abdominal organs in several projections is required, so pictures can be taken while standing and lying down. Before you take an x-ray of the abdominal cavity, you do not need to take off your clothes, but be sure to remove any metal objects in the X-ray passage.
The patient is placed close to the x-ray machine, and the specialist determines the optimal position of the device according to the height of the subject. During the procedure, you can not move. Otherwise, the picture of the examination will be blurry and will have to undergo an examination again.
A picture and description of the abdominal x-ray is given to the patient in his arms immediately after the procedure. The conclusion is made by the radiologist, and the diagnosis is made by the specialist who issued the direction for this procedure. In order to avoid obtaining increased radiation exposure, it is not recommended to undergo radiography more often than once every six months.
Preparation methods
A patient who needs urgent diagnosis does not undergo any specific preparation. If the examination was planned in advance, you will have to previously devote time to cleansing the intestinal tract. On the eve of the study, the patient must be given an enema or take Fortrans laxative. Knowing what the abdominal x-ray in adults shows and how it displays the picture of the examination, it is important to prevent extraneous shadows that will introduce errors in the conclusion.
If the patient suffers from severe flatulence or has a tendency to constipation, he must adhere to a light diet menu within three days before the appointed date of the study. For this period, it is desirable to completely eliminate products that contribute to gas formation:
- legumes;
- dairy products;
- Rye bread.
Preparing for an x-ray of the abdominal cavity also involves the rejection of pasta and meat. Do not eat food on the day of the examination. During the diet, it is advisable to take sorbents that will help the body cleanse faster and more efficiently.
What can be seen in the pictures
As for the description of the images, it is immediately worth noting that the initial results must be evaluated by a radiologist. If a patient has been admitted for emergency care after receiving an injury or exposure to other factors, first of all, doctors should exclude the possibility of internal bleeding, rupture of a hollow organ, which can be indicated by the presence of gases in atypical places. The presence of free fluid in the lower abdomen usually indicates hemorrhage. A healthy person should not have it there.
In addition, according to an x-ray, specialists can diagnose:
- pneumoperitoneum (pathological filling with gas of the abdominal cavity);
- the presence of calculi in the gall bladder (stones are extremely rarely displayed on the projection, which, according to experts, depends on the location of the formations, their size, shape);
- intestinal obstruction (in this case, individual fragments of the intestine will resemble large expanded bowls, which contain a lot of gas and fluids);
- liver abscess (this diagnosis is made by doctors with significant restrictions on the mobility of the diaphragmatic dome and with the appearance of effusion in the localization of the right pleural cavity);
- neoplasms, a variety of foreign bodies that enter the body through the esophagus.
Some products, in particular those that are often swallowed by children, do not reflect X-rays, and therefore it is not always possible to see them in the picture. If pancreatitis is suspected, an X-ray of the abdominal organs is recommended.
Compared to panoramic radiography, contrast is considered to be more informative, since it allows even subtle nuances to be detected, for example, the degree of patency in any part of the gastrointestinal tract. Using barium mass it is much easier to analyze the condition of the mucous membrane of the internal organs, confirm or exclude the presence of tumors. An x-ray is able to detect a neoplasm in the abdominal cavity only when it already compresses the walls of neighboring organs.
Where to do an abdominal x-ray
This study is conducted in the direction of the attending physician. X-ray can be prescribed by any of the narrow-profile specialists - therapist, gastroenterologist, urologist, nephrologist, endocrinologist. The cost of the procedure may vary slightly in different medical institutions, depending on the form of ownership, the technical capabilities of the available equipment, and the qualifications of the radiologist. You can make an x-ray both in a paid clinic and in a budget. The main thing is for a qualified radiologist to draw up a detailed and reliable conclusion. The cost of diagnosis usually includes decryption of the image.