General Radiology and Fluoroscopy
General Radiology covers a vast array of imaging modalities. This is divided into “plain films” (x-ray images of the chest, skull, joints or long bones) or more specialist fluoroscopic examinations such as barium meals and barium enemas. Intravenous Urography (IVU) is another specialist technique whereby special liquid (contrast) is injected into the patient through a vein and this allows visualisation of the kidneys and the bladder. Fluoroscopy refers to a technique where real time moving x-ray images can be watched and then individual still pictures are recorded.
- Plain films:
- No special preparation is required for this. Your doctor will refer you for plain films looking for conditions such as arthritis or fractures. Plain x-rays of the chest are often requested when looking for heart conditions or lung conditions such as a cause of shortness of breath, to diagnose pneumonia, and other conditions of the chest.
- IVU:
- This will often be requested by a Urologist or another doctor to identify conditions of the kidneys, to see whether they are blocked (obstructed), and to see details of the bladder. This is used to identify the cause of blood in the urine
- Barium Enemas:
- In this examination, the patient has to be given a special diet for 24 hours as well as a strong laxative so the colon (large bowel) is clean. Barium is then introduced into the large bowel followed by some air and a series of pictures are taken. This examination will normally take between 20 and 45 minutes. Reasons for your doctor requesting a barium enema would include the detection of growths (cancers and polyps), the identification of diverticular disease and the identification of inflammatory conditions (colitis).
