X-ray for the abdominal cavity: the secret becomes clear. Why an abdominal x-ray is taken

Abdominal x-ray is an examination of the abdominal organs, which allows you to assess the condition of the stomach, liver, spleen, intestines and diaphragm. Abdominal x-rays can also reveal some bladder and kidney problems. Most often, two x-rays are taken from different angles.

X-ray examination is possible thanks to special radioactive rays that can penetrate most objects, including the human body. An x-ray image is developed on film or displayed on a computer screen. Dense tissues, such as bones, block more rays, so they appear white on x-rays. Less dense tissues, such as internal organs, block less X-rays and are therefore gray in color.

Abdominal x-ray one of the first tests will identify the cause of pain or bloating, nausea or vomiting. Intravenous pyelography, CT or abdominal ultrasound are used for further investigation.

Our clinic has specialists in this field.

(4 specialists)

2. Why do an X-ray examination of the abdominal cavity and preparation for the examination

X-rays of the abdominal organs are performed to:

Find out the cause of pain or bloating.
Find out the cause of pain in the lower back or side.
Find out the location of the liver, kidneys and spleen.
Detect stones in the kidneys, gallbladder and other organs.
Find an object that has been swallowed or accidentally entered into the abdominal cavity.
Check the location of medical instruments (drainage tubes, catheters, shunts).

Preparing for an abdominal x-ray

Talk to your doctor before having an abdominal x-ray. Women should tell their doctor if they are pregnant. X-ray examination of organs can negatively affect the fetus, so an abdominal ultrasound is usually performed instead.

Before the procedure itself, you will be asked to remove all jewelry and piercings: they may be in the path of x-rays. It is best to have an abdominal x-ray with an empty bladder.

3. How is an X-ray examination of the abdominal cavity performed?

An x-ray of the abdomen is taken and interpreted by specialized doctors (radiologists), although many other doctors can also do this.

During the procedure, you will need to take off your clothes and lie on your back. Sometimes a special apron is applied to the pelvic area, which protects against radioactive radiation. The internal genital organs of women, however, cannot be protected with it, because. are too close to the abdominal organs.

While the x-ray is being taken, you need to hold your breath and lie flat. The procedure is absolutely painless and will not cause you discomfort.

Often two x-rays are taken: in a vertical (standing) and horizontal (lying) position. An x-ray in an upright position allows you to see the perforation of the stomach or intestines.

An x-ray of the abdomen may be taken at the same time as a chest x-ray.

Abdominal X-ray is performed quickly - the procedure takes from 5 to 10 minutes.

4. X-ray risks and what you should know?

Remember that with any x-ray, there is a small chance of damage to tissues or cells by radiation. But in the vast majority of cases, the procedure does not cause any harm to health.

What is worth knowing?

Abdominal x-ray results taken at different times may vary slightly depending on the equipment and the location in which you took it. Usually, x-ray examination is only the first step towards the detection of diseases of the abdominal organs. An endoscopy, CT scan, MRI, abdominal ultrasound, intravenous pyelography, or other tests may be needed to accurately diagnose the disease. Do not forget that Abdominal x-ray may not reveal many diseases such as a bleeding stomach ulcer.

X-ray of the abdominal cavity is one of the traditional non-invasive diagnostic methods in modern medicine.

It, thanks to the local exposure to X-ray radiation of a safe level, makes it possible to obtain a projection image of the internal structures of the human body.

This method, when used correctly, is considered not dangerous to the life and health of the patient, and the research procedure is simple and comfortable.

The x-ray takes just a few minutes. The procedure may require preparation.

What can be seen on an x-ray?

The most popular types of x-ray examination today are the survey x-ray examination of the abdominal cavity and contrast x-rays.

Plain x-ray makes it possible to assess the general condition of the internal organs located in the abdominal cavity.

Plain x-ray examination will help to see the following types of pathologies:

the presence of pathological neoplasms (hematomas, cysts, polyps or tumors, sometimes stones) in the tissues and cavities of the kidneys, gallbladder or bladder;
mechanical violations of the integrity of the abdominal organs (ruptures);
the presence of gas or liquid in the gastrointestinal tract or in general within the abdominal cavity;
pathological accumulations of feces and gas in the intestines (for example, with intestinal obstruction).

This method is used to clarify the diagnosis. Often it is prescribed in combination with a group of other studies, and if a survey examination cannot answer the questions of specialists, then they resort to x-rays with contrast.

Contrast x-ray is carried out using a special substance that fills the cavities of organs that are not visible during a general x-ray.

Before such a procedure, you need to take a preparation with barium orally (in some situations, it is administered through a tube).

Barium sulphate, which is used in contrast radiography, is slightly soluble in water and physiological fluids, but it absorbs X-rays.

The drug with barium in the digestive tract is not absorbed and does not change its properties under the influence of the secretion of the digestive organs. It is excreted from the body in the process of defecation with feces.

Examination with contrast allows you to consider in detail the possible pathological changes in the mucous tissues of the gastrointestinal tract. X-ray with barium will show ulceration, perforation, narrowing of the lumen of hollow organs, tumors.

Who is researching and why?

Plain x-rays are necessary when:

the patient is tormented by pain in the abdomen and lower back;
often there is bloating;
there are suspicions of injuries to internal organs or the development of a retroperitoneal abscess;
with the formation of acute intestinal obstruction due to the appearance of neoplasms (cysts, tumors or polyps) or with its invagination;
there are signs of diverticulitis.

Plain x-rays are also used to diagnose inflammation of the digestive system, detect stones in the bladder cavity or in the kidneys.

It is this type of radiography that shows perforation and violations of the integrity of tissues not only of the intestines, but also of other organs of the abdominal cavity.

There are very few contraindications for conducting a review examination.

Unless any x-ray examination is recommended for women during pregnancy and children under 14 years of age. As an alternative to x-rays, ultrasound is recommended in these cases.

But, as already mentioned above, the review method does not show the structural features of the hollow organs of the gastrointestinal tract. For this, a study with contrast is used.

Thanks to the contrast agent, the specialist receives an image of all the folds and bends of the digestive tract, can identify changes in the structure of their tissues.

The contrast method of research with barium has its own characteristics. It will not be used in cases where the patient has an allergic reaction to the contrast components.

Do not use this type of x-ray examination for dehydration, the presence of intestinal symptoms with vomiting and diarrhea, or for cystic fibrosis.

In some cases, perforation of the digestive tract, obstruction and diverticulitis in acute phases may also be a contraindication.

Sometimes, at the discretion of the doctor (when the threat to health is higher than the diagnostic value of the study), with such symptoms, the examination is carried out using other methods.

How to properly prepare for the procedure?

No special preparation is required before a survey of the abdominal cavity. The only requirement is that the bladder should be emptied before an x-ray is taken.

This type of examination can be carried out in clothes, but jewelry must be removed.

The procedure can be performed both lying down and standing. During the study, the patient stands or lies for several minutes.

Sometimes x-rays are taken in different positions to obtain more information. The patient must remain still during the examination.

Special preparation will be required when examining with contrast agents. At least 12 hours before the procedure, you need to stop eating.

For a day or even two, it is worth starting to follow a diet that excludes all vegetables, rye bread, milk and cream from the diet.

This is necessary so that the image is as clear as possible, and the organs are clearly visible.

Preparation of the gastrointestinal tract for the study can be carried out directly on the day of the procedure or the night before.

Preparation for an x-ray examination on the day of diagnosis involves the use of an enema or a special rectal suppository with a laxative effect. The procedure is recommended to be carried out one and a half to two hours before the study.

However, it is worth considering the characteristics of your body. For some people, the laxative effect lasts longer than others.

In such cases, you need to calculate the time in advance so that the intestines have time to clear themselves, and the urge to defecate does not interfere with the procedure.

Preparation on the eve of the study will make it possible to avoid discomfort directly on the day of diagnosis and guarantee a good cleansing effect.

To prepare in advance, one of the simplest and most modern methods of colon cleansing at home is usually used.

To date, the easiest way to independently clean the lower sections of the gastric tract with the help of lavage agents. To do this, use Fortrans, Lavacol, Fleet Phospho-Soda or Endofalk.

Lavage preparations are a mixture of minerals that are not absorbed in the intestines. When a person drinks such a solution, the liquid with minerals diluted in it passes through the gastrointestinal tract directly, clearing all the folds.

You need to take the product in accordance with the instructions attached to it. The drugs are started after the last meal.

From it until the moment of radiography, it is worth sustaining a period of fasting so that the gastrointestinal tract is clearly visible. Before an x-ray with the use of contrast, the patient should drink a preparation with barium.

X-ray examination of the abdominal cavity is a proven highly effective non-invasive diagnostic method that allows a specialist to identify the slightest pathological changes in the structures of internal organs quickly and comfortably for the patient.

All devices used in the Open Clinic comply with international standards. Therefore, you can be sure that as a result of the diagnostics, you will get good quality images, on which you can see the structure of the area under study. Open Clinic guarantees its clients:

successful abdominal x-ray;
quick preparation of the results of the procedure;
attentive attitude of the staff.

Our medical center is one of the best in Moscow. To use the services of the "Open Clinic", call the contact number listed on the site. Administrators of our medical center will answer all your questions. Employees of the "Open Clinic" will select the time of diagnosis that is convenient for you. We use pre-registration so you don't have to wait in line. In the "Open Clinic" affordable prices for x-rays of the abdominal organs.

Indications

Diagnosis is carried out when discomfort appears in the area under study. The procedure is performed by a radiologist.

Pathologies. Specialists prescribe this study for the diagnosis of various diseases. Radiography of the abdominal organs is performed with cholecystitis, pancreatitis, diverticulitis.
Injury. If the abdominal cavity was injured, then the patient needs immediate diagnosis. An x-ray will allow you to assess the degree of damage received and draw up an effective treatment regimen.
Tumor. The study is assigned to patients for the diagnosis of neoplasms of various nature. An x-ray of the abdominal cavity helps to identify the tumor, determine its size and location.
Deterioration of the patient's condition. Indications for diagnosis are persistent nausea and prolonged vomiting. It is necessary for the patient to make an x-ray of the abdominal organs with pain in the abdomen.
Foreign body. The study is prescribed if the doctor suspects that the patient has a foreign object in the abdominal cavity. Diagnostics allows you to determine where the foreign body is located.
Carrying out the operation. An x-ray of the abdominal cavity is taken before surgery. It allows you to assess the patient's condition before surgery. Also, the study is carried out after surgery.

The price of an abdominal x-ray at the Open Clinic

In our medical center you can get diagnostics at a favorable cost. Radiography of the abdominal organs is available to all residents of the capital.

Examination in our centers in Moscow

Diagnostics in the "Open Clinic" is carried out at the highest level. The study is carried out using high-precision devices. Diagnosis is carried out by highly qualified specialists. You can specify the prices for abdominal radiography from the administrators of the Open Clinic.

Abdominal X-ray reveals a wide range of pathologies . The study of the following organs is included: liver, stomach, intestines, pancreas, ureter, lymphatic system, gallbladder and blood vessels.

If there are indications for the procedure, the patient can go to the clinic at the place of residence or to a private clinic with a convenient location, modern equipment and experienced radiologists. The most effective is the examination with the introduction of a contrast agent.

What does it show?

genetic anomalies of development;
oncological diseases of various internal organs;
abnormal accumulations of fluids;
abscesses in the retroperitoneal space;
clogged intestinal lumen as a result of the formation of polyps and cysts of different sizes;
causes of acute abdomen syndrome;
stones in the liver and kidneys;
inflamed areas in the intestines;
foci of infection in the pancreas;
consequences of injuries of the abdomen and spine;
intestinal intussusceptions;
gallbladder pathology.

Indications and contraindications

Among the main reasons to prescribe an abdominal x-ray to a patient are:

Previously diagnosed cholelithiasis.
Pronounced signs of cholecystitis.
Excessively enlarged belly.
recent injury.
Suspicion of inflammation of appendicitis.
Germination of one part of the intestine into another.
Ischemic disease of the colon.
Diverticulitis.
Progressive intestinal obstruction.
Palpable seals and neoplasms in the peritoneum.

Despite the effectiveness of the method for primary and differential diagnosis, X-rays should not be taken by pregnant and lactating mothers, children under the age of 14, as well as patients with severe chronic pathologies of internal organs.

Contraindications for contrast radiography are:

cystic fibrosis;
bronchial asthma;
prolonged diarrhea and/or vomiting;
acute phase of ulcerative colitis;
perforation of the gastrointestinal tract.

What is an abdominal x-ray?

Aimed diagnostics is practiced with a confirmed pathology of a particular organ, and in order to assess the condition of the abdominal cavity as a whole, an overview x-ray is needed.

It is especially useful in the presence of perforated areas, allowing you to identify free gas and find where the intestinal wall has ruptured. In addition, it is prescribed to assess the prevalence of large neoplasms and determine the degree of intestinal obstruction.

Patients with suspected or already diagnosed pancreatitis, cholecystitis, nephrolithiasis, diverticulitis, and severe pain are referred for examination with contrast.

How to prepare?

Before you go for an X-ray, you should get individual recommendations for preparation from your doctor. If a contrast agent is not administered, then no special preliminary measures are needed. The only caveat is that you need to come to the procedure after emptying the bladder.

General rules for preparing for an X-ray with the introduction of contrast:

give up black bread and dairy products within 24 hours (pasta and lean meats are allowed);
the last half day before the procedure, eat only liquid food;
cleanse the intestines in two hours - on the advice of a doctor, you need to do an enema or take a laxative;
do not eat before visiting the clinic (if possible, then do not drink anything);
refuse (if the doctor has allowed) the medications taken.

How do they do it?

The procedure takes about ten to fifteen minutes and does not cause much discomfort to the patient. Be sure to take off your watch and jewelry, as well as free your upper body from clothing. The position in which irradiation occurs depends on the type of apparatus and medical indications - in some cases it will be necessary to lie down on the table, and in others - to sit down.

Your doctor will tell you in detail about how an x-ray with contrast is performed and the radiologist of the diagnostic center will repeat it immediately before the start, but in general, the only difference from the classic version is the introduction of a contrast agent.

There are two ways to enter: orally or through a special probe. Once in the body, barium fills those areas that were previously not visible on the pictures, providing maximum visualization of organs.

Alternatives to barium include air, water-soluble drugs, and nitrous oxide. The choice of contrast depends on the expected pathology of individual sensitivity to drugs. In some cases, patients undergo fluoroscopy to monitor the stretching, displacement and contraction of the internal walls.

After the necessary images are obtained, the doctor allows you to get up from the table and get dressed. Additional measures to remove the contrast agent from the body are not required - it will come out with the feces.

Can children do it?

At the age of 14 years, doctors recommend using ultrasound for diagnostic purposes, but this method is not always informative enough and can replace x-rays. For children, an x-ray examination is carried out exclusively as prescribed by a doctor in the absence of other options for detecting pathology and the presence of unequivocal indications, such as:

intestinal obstruction;
peritonitis;
congenital anomalies of the structure;
serious dysfunction of the kidneys or ureters;
suspected oncological process.

In the practice of treating children, a survey radiography of the abdominal organs is used - it is performed on the recommendation of a surgeon, gastroenterologist or oncologist. Based on the images, the doctor can detect free gases, tears and perforations, foreign objects, areas of obstruction, ascites, and urolithiasis. Timely diagnosis can save the child's life, so you should not refuse the study if it was prescribed by a doctor.

How and who issues the conclusion?

The duration of decoding depends on the type of equipment used and the level of qualification of the doctor. A digital study involves the issuance of results in 10-15 minutes, and if you need to develop the film, then the conclusion of the radiologist (it is he who evaluates the images) is provided in a couple of days.

Guided by the conclusions of a specialist, the attending physician decides whether additional studies are needed, what diagnosis and what methods of therapy to use to restore the patient's health.

Plain radiography of the abdominal cavity- This is a method of radiation diagnostics, which allows you to assess the state of organs in a given localization, to detect signs of pathologies and emergency conditions that require medical intervention. A review study does not involve the use of a contrast agent, therefore it is a preliminary, “screening” diagnostic method.

Plain radiography is a relatively uninformative diagnostic method and in most cases requires additional studies (contrast radiography).

In most cases, it plays the role of a first-level diagnostic study that provides general information about the patient's condition and allows you to quickly make a preliminary diagnosis. In addition, it is this technique that is used as a screening for a preventive examination of a large number of people.

Preparation for the procedure

Food

A few days before the study, you must go on a special diet. The patient should not strictly limit himself in nutrition, it is only necessary to slightly adjust the diet. It is recommended to limit the consumption of the following foods:

The diet is recommended to be made up of simple dishes - cereals on the water, soups, salads. It is important to stay hydrated and drink enough fluids every day. This will normalize peristalsis and prevent constipation and flatulence. In the presence of these symptoms, the information content of the study is significantly reduced, so dieting is an important component of preparation. However, if the patient is admitted to the hospital urgently with some acute condition, the study can be carried out without special preparation.

Cleansing enema

Before the procedure, it is advisable to do a cleansing enema (see cleansing or). Bowel emptying also increases the likelihood of a reliable test result. The enema is carried out in the usual manner, in the evening on the eve of the x-ray. It is advisable to repeat the cleansing in the morning immediately before going to the doctor.

Laxatives

Instead of an enema, patients can use.

The most effective drug from this group is, which is available in powder form in paper bags. One portion of the powder should be diluted in 1 liter of water. For a woman of average weight, it is necessary to prepare 3 liters of solution, for a man - about 4 liters. The patient should slowly drink the resulting liquid at a rate of 1 liter per hour. A significant water load allows you to clean the intestines and remove, which can interfere with x-rays.

The use of the drug Fortrans, the patient must necessarily coordinate with his doctor. The tool has a number of contraindications, it is not recommended to prescribe it to weakened and elderly patients. Increased water load is also undesirable for patients with pathologies of the cardiovascular system or kidney disease.

Immediate preparation for the study

Approximately 12 hours (from the evening of the previous day) it is recommended to stop eating solid food, as it can be visualized in the intestine and make diagnosis difficult. Immediately before the study, it is necessary to empty the bladder. In the doctor's office, you must remove all jewelry and other metal objects, you do not need to undress.