Small intestinal obstruction or ischemia

The aim of the study was to compare the radiological efficacy of the contrast media barium, sodium diatrizoate and iohexol in enteric follow-through examinations. Using rats as an animal model, the findings confirmed that an intact mucosa represents a barrier against escape of contrast medium from the small intestine, and that this barrier is broken down after a few hours of bowel ischemia. When using a rather high-volume bolus, the low-osmolar iohexol seems to have significant prospects for general diagnostic use in patients with suspected internal obstruction. Water soluble contrast media may, when administered orally, be used to differentiate between ischemic bowel and simple obstruction by their rate of excretion in the urine. Measurement of the urinary iodine concentration may also give some indication of the extent of the ischemic bowel injury. Barium does not give this additional information