Abdominal x-ray enema through the rectum. The term "barium enema" usually refers to a lower gastrointestinal series, although enteroclysis (an upper gastrointestinal series) is often called a small bowel barium enema. Abdominal x-ray An abdominal x-ray is an x-ray of the abdomen. It is sometimes abbreviated to AXR, or KUB (for kidneys, ureters, and urinary bladder). In children, abdominal x-ray is indicated in the acute setting: Yet, CT scan is the best alternative for diagnosing intra-abdominal injury. For acute abdominal pain in adults, an abdominal x-ray has a low sensitivity and accuracy in general, as well as for specific conditions such as
Lower gastrointestinal series colon to distend it and provide better images (often called a "double-contrast" exam). If air is used, the enema tube will be reinserted if it had been removed and a small amount of air will be introduced into the colon, and more X-ray pictures are taken. The patient is usually asked to move to different positions and the table is slightly tipped to get different views. If there is a suspected bowel perforation, a water-soluble contrast agent is used instead of barium. The procedure is otherwise very similar, although the images will be of poorer quality. If a perforation exists,