Barium sulfate upper gastrointestinal

An X ray of the upper gastrointestinal tract clarified by barium sulfate. 

Barium is probably best known in the form of barium sulfate (BaS04). Barium sulfate is a white solid that is insoluble in the human gastrointestinal (GI) tract. It is administered in powdered form as a contrast agent for use in X-ray pictures of the upper and lower GI tracts. Any abnormal growths—cancerous tumors, for example—will clearly show as dark spots in the X-rays against the white background of the BaSCf. 

An important barium compound is barium sulfate (BaS04). Barium atoms are highly X-ray and gamma-ray absorbent, a quality that is in demand in the medical industry, where it is especially useful as a diagnostic tool for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract—the stomach and the upper and lower intestines. Tissues in the stomach and intestines will not normally show up on X-ray film. X-rays taken after a patient swallows barium sulfate powder mixed with water will show the track... 

Barium sulfate has had important applications in medical imaging because barium is opaque to X-rays. Although barium ion is toxic, the compound BaS04 is so insoluble as to be safe to use as a "barium milkshake" to coat the stomach or upper gastrointestinal tract or in a "barium enema" for the lower tract. 

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See also in sourсe #XX -- [ ]

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