A barium enema is used to look for problems in the stomach, small and large bowel (colon). The gut does not show up very well on ordinary X-ray images. A liquid that contains barium is placed in the gut, allowing the outline of the gut shows up clearly on X-ray pictures.
A thick white liquid that contains barium is used as an enema to place in the colon. Barium liquid can also be taken as a drink and is used to obtain clear X-ray images of the upper gut – (oesophagus), stomach and small intestine.
Special Instructions for Barium Studies
You should let your radiologist know if you are pregnant.