Diagnostic Imaging
Preparation Instructions
Although every effort is made to remain on schedule, urgent procedures often must be added or procedures may take longer than expected to complete. We thank you for your patience in advance.
Gastrics & Fluoro / Patient Preparation / Length of ProcedureOesophagus, Stomach & Duodenum (OSD) / -nothing to eat or drink from midnight prior / 10-15 minutes
Small Bowel Follow Through / -nothing to eat or drink from midnight prior / 1-4 hours average
Small Bowel Enema / -nothing to eat or drink from midnight prior / Approximately 60 minutes
Barium Enema /
-take colon preparation as listed below / 10-15 minutes
Stress Cystogram / -no dietary preparation needed. Patient will be instructed to empty bladder before exam / 10-15 minutes
Voiding Cystogram / -no dietary preparation needed. Patient will be instructed to empty bladder before exam / 10-15 minutes
Arthrogram / -no prep needed / 10-15 minutes
Colon Preparation:
Obtain from local pharmacy Pico-Salax & 1 package of 6 tablets of Ducolax
Day before Exams
§ have your regular breakfast. After breakfast until exam is done, start drinking a clear fluid diet. Ie water, fluid juice, soft drinks, clear tea, coffee, jello, broth or consume. NO SOLID FOOD OR DAIRY PRODUCTS.
§ At 12 pm take 4 Ducolax tablets. This is the laxative that will start to clear the bowel.
§ At 3 pm take 1st packet of Pico-Salax (please ignore the meal instructions located on the Pico-Salax package).
· Mix with 5 oz glass of cold water. If it heats up let it cool before drinking. You must continue to stir while drinking the glass of water to ensure all the laxative has dissolved.
· Drink one (1) glass of room temperature water each hour over the next three hours. Most people will have watery bowel movements, usually without urgently rushing to the washroom.
§ At 9pm take the 2nd packet of Pico-Salax using the same instruction as above.
Day of Examination
§ Clear fluids for breakfast.
§ Take 2 ducolax tablets with clear fluids.
§ Report to Diagnostic Imaging for your appointment.
Colon Preparation for Diabetes, Heart Disease or Renal Failure
Obtain from local pharmacy Lyteprep and Ducolax.
Day before Exam
§ Mix Lyteprep in the morning (AM) and store in refrigerator until 6pm.
§ If possible, the patient should fast for 3-4 hours before taking Lyteprep.
§ Do not take sold foods for at least 2 hours before taking Lyteprep.
§ At 6pm take the Lyteprep. Rapidly drink 240ml (8oz) glass of water every 10 minutes
§ The total dosage will be 4 litres for an adult.
§ Clear fluids only after the start of the Lyteprep Ie water, fluid juice, soft drinks, clear tea, coffee, jello, broth or consume. NO SOLID FOOD OR DAIRY PRODUCTS.
§ At 11 pm take a Ducolax tablet.
Day of Examination
§ Clear fluids only until time of exam.
** Diabetic Patients may have their insulin and fluid diet (check with Dietician).
Colon Preparation for Children (up to age 8)
§ Clear Fluids for 36 hours prior to examination Ie water, fluid juice, soft drinks, clear tea, coffee, jello, broth or consume. NO SOLID FOOD OR DAIRY PRODUCTS.
§ Castor Oil 1ml/kg in the afternoon prior to exam.
§ Saline or Fleet enema evening and morning prior to exam.
Before the Exam
- Arrive in comfortable clothing and no jewelry.
- You may be asked to remove some or all of your street clothes and wear a gown.
- You may be asked to remove jewelry, eye glasses and any metal object or clothing that might interfere with the x-ray images.
- Women should inform their physician or the technologist before their scan, if there is any possibility that they are pregnant or trying to become pregnant. Many imaging tests are not performed during pregnancy so fetus does not get exposed to radiation. If the x-ray is necessary, precautions will be taken to minimize the dose to the fetus.
After the Exam
- Resume to your normal diet
For studies that involved barium drink 8 to 10 glasses of liquid per day, starting the day of the test and for the next 2 days. This will allow the barium to pass out of your bowel.