Upper GI and small bowel series

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Barium ingestion

Stomach cancer, X-ray

Stomach ulcer, X-ray

Volvulus - X-ray

Small intestine

Overview

Risks

Results

Upper GI and small bowel series

Alternative Names:

GI series; Barium swallow x-ray; Upper GI series

What the risks are:

There is low radiation exposure, which carries a measurable but small risk of cancer. X-rays are monitored and regulated to provide the minimum amount of radiation exposure needed to produce the image. Most experts feel that the risk is low compared with the benefits.

Pregnant women and children are more sensitive to the risks of x-rays.

Barium may cause constipation. Consult your health care provider if the barium has not passed through your system by 2 or 3 days after the exam.

Special considerations:

The upper GI series should be performed after other x-ray procedures, because the barium that is retained may obscure details in other imaging tests.

Review Date: 11/3/2004
Reviewed By: Jeffrey J. Brown, MD FACR, Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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