CT Small
Bowel Study

What to know

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Your doctor has requested a specialised CT examination of the small intestine commonly known as a small bowel study.

Does any of the following apply to you? If so please contact us as soon as possible.

You suspect or know that you may be pregnant
You have ever experienced a severe reaction to a previous injection of contrast media
You suffer from asthma or have kidney disease
You are a diabetic

Do you require an interpreter?
Is the patient non-english speaking? If so, we can arrange for an interpreter to be present during the appointment. Please let us know as soon as possible so we can make the relevant arrangements.

Before the examination your diet must be restricted to enable the bowel to be clear, otherwise the examination may not be completely satisfactory.

Please call into our clinic to make an appointment and collect your preparation.

Day before examination:

Evening meal – A light meal before 7pm
At 8pm – Mix the contents of the Picoprep sachet with 120mls of water. Picoprep produces a watery stool or bowl motion that empties and cleanses the bowel before an examination
Drink all of this mixture followed by two large glasses of clear fluids
Have nothing to eat after drinking the laxative
Clear fluids may be taken throughout the evening to satisfy thirst
From midnight nothing to drink, only sips of water are permitted for thirst.

If you have a copy of previous imaging, please bring it with you on the day of your examination. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask us.

On arrival, you may be required to complete relevant paperwork
You will then be given a special solution to drink over the following hour, this will coat and outline the small bowel for the procedure
You will then be taken into the CT room where you will receive an iodine-based contrast injection
You will lie on a procedural bed that moves in and out of a donut-shaped machine containing the x-ray tube and detectors
Specialist radiologists will review and report your CT scan and provide results to your referring doctor
Inform the reception team of your follow-up appointment with the referring doctor.

Occasionally your doctor may ask specifically for a CT enteroclysis small bowel study. This involves putting the solution directly into the stomach via a small tube (rather than drinking it). The tube is inserted into the nose after a spray of local anaesthetic to minimise discomfort. The tube is then guided to the correct position by the radiologist and the solution is run through this tube into the bowel while you are lying on the CT scanner.