title: Barium meals in the elderly--a quality reassurance.
abstract: The consecutive double contrast barium meal examinations of 100 elderly patients (aged over 65 years) and a group of 33 younger adult patients were analysed by two observers for technical quality and pathological abnormalities. Technical quality declined with patient age, especially in those over 75 years, but was sufficient to enable diagnosis of abnormalities in 60% of the elderly group. It is concluded that, in the majority of elderly patients, the technical quality of double contrast barium meal examinations is sufficiently high to offer considerable diagnostic utility.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Central Middlesex Hospital, London, UK.
authors.forename: S P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Hawkins
authors.forename: P C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Rowlands
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Shorvon
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001466:Barium Sulfate; D004386:Duodenum / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D004947:Esophagus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011859:Radiography; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013270:Stomach / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D001466:Barium Sulfate