DOUBLE-CONTRAST SMALL-BOWEL FOLLOW-THROUGH WITH AN ACID-RESISTANT EFFERVESCENT AGENT

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES. A new technique was developed to achieve dou ble contrast examinations in the small bowel without intubation. METHO DS. Effervescent granules and tablets were coated with an acid-resista nt acrylic lacquer to provide selective enteric gas release. The coati ng thickness was 15% of dry weight for the granules and 1 to 4.5 mg/cm 2 for the tablets. Fifty patients were examined using the method in a controlled study. All examinations were reviewed by two radiologists u sing a three-step quality score. The results were compared to 20 enter oclysis examinations. RESULTS. Image quality was better for the coated tablets compared with the granules (P < .01). The double-contrast sma ll bowel follow-through (DC-SBFT) provided a better quality examinatio n in the terminal small bowel than in the jejunum. Enteroclysis yielde d better results for the jejunum, but was not superior in the terminal ileum. Average time of fluoroscopy was 477 seconds for the DC-SBFT (n = 50) compared with 952 seconds for patients receiving enteroclysis ( n = 528). No side effects or adverse reactions occurred due to contras t media application. CONCLUSIONS. The results of this new method are p reliminary, yet promising. For young patients and certain indications it may provide a less invasive alternative to enteroclysis.