Omnipaque and Gastrografin in gastrointestinal follow-through examinations

The non-ionic low-osmolar contrast medium Omnipaque was compared with the conventional ionic high-osmolar contrast medium Gastrografin in a randomized, double blind study comprising 71 consecutive gastrointestinal follow-through examinations performed because of suspected ileus or anastomosis control. The patients' reaction were confined to nausea, emesis and diarrhoe being very similar in both groups and related to the patients' illnesses. The taste of Gastrografin was more often judged unpleasant, but the difference was not significant. Omniplaque scored significantly better for contrast medium density and diagnostic visualisation in the small bowel, otherwise the differences were negligible. There were no significant differences in the transit time into the caecum. The high price of Omnipaque restricts its routine use. It may be diagnostically indicated in selected cases where greater accuracy in the delineation of pathologic anatomical details in the small bowel is desired.