Prospective comparison of patient experience with colon imaging tests.

Purpose: Patient experience varies with the currently available colon imaging tests, including air contrast barium enema, computed tomographic colonography, and colonoscopy. We examined differences in patient experience with colon imaging tests and whether they varied with gender, age, and race.

Subjects And Methods: Patients with fecal occult blood, hematochezia, iron-deficiency anemia, or a family history of colon cancer underwent air contrast barium enema followed 7 to 14 days later by computed tomographic colonography and colonoscopy.

Comparison of radiologists and technologists in the performance of air-contrast barium enemas.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine whether the rate of polyp detection and the quality of air-contrast barium enema (ACBE) procedures performed by technologists differ from those performed by radiologists.

Conclusion: Our results showed that well-trained certified technologists can perform ACBE similar in overall quality and accuracy to ACBE performed by attending physicians and residents. Training technologists to perform ACBE may help to alleviate the radiology staffing shortage in the United States.

Causes of errors in polyp detection at air-contrast barium enema examination.

Purpose: To retrospectively determine the cause of errors in air-contrast barium enema (ACBE) examination for detection of polyps 6 mm or larger.

Materials And Methods: The study had institutional review board approval. Informed consent was waived for this HIPAA-compliant study.