June 10 - Whole Milk is Effective and Cost-Effective as Oral Contrast Agent

An item commonly found in many homes—whole milk—is just as effective, costs less, and is easier on a patient than a diluted (0.1%) barium suspension that is also commonly used as an oral contrast agent in conjunction with CT to examine the gastrointestinal tract, a new study finds. The study appears in the May issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology.

The study included 215 patients undergoing abdominal and pelvic CT, says Chi Wan Koo, MD, lead author of the study. All patients were given an IV contrast media: 115 were given whole milk as an oral contrast agent and 100 received a 0.1% barium suspension. Two radiologists reviewed all the images and scored them based on degree of bowel distension and bowel wall visibility. Adequate bowel distension is necessary to optimize resolution of the bowel wall and contents, says Koo.

The study found that the images of patients who were given whole milk were just as useful as the images of patients given the diluted barium, she says. In addition, patients were given a questionnaire, asking them how well they tolerated the oral contrast agents, and a cost comparison was done. “We found that milk was less expensive, it had better patient acceptance and fewer adverse symptoms,” says Koo.

Whole milk and 0.1% barium suspension are valuable in the diagnosis of small bowel disorders, such as ischemia, neoplasm, and Crohn’s disease, Koo says. They are also useful in evaluating pancreatic and biliary abnormalities.

Source: American Roentgen Ray Society

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