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Oral contrast agents for CT: a taste test survey
1Department of Radiology, McGuire Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Richmond, VA 23249, USA.
Journal of Computer Assisted Tomography
|September 19, 1997
Summary
Mixing Gastrografin with Kool-Aid significantly improved oral contrast agent palatability for CT scans. Other agents showed lower scores, with some clustering together in patient preference.
Area of Science:
- Radiology
- Medical Imaging
- Gastroenterology
Background:
- Oral contrast agents are crucial for CT imaging.
- Patient tolerance of oral contrast agents can impact scan quality.
- Palatability is a key factor in patient compliance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess and compare the palatability of various oral contrast agents used in CT scans.
- To identify patient preferences among different oral contrast formulations.
Main Methods:
- A survey of 202 adult participants (mean age 59 years) was conducted.
- Participants tasted and scored 5-8 different oral contrast agents using a visual analog scale (0-10).
- Scores reflected overall palatability based on individual preferences.
Main Results:
- Gastrografin mixed with Tropical Punch Kool-Aid received the highest mean palatability score (8.2).
- Scan C (5.7), Cheetah (4.7), and Readi-Cat (4.4) had moderate scores.
- E-Z-Cat (4.0), Tomo-Cat (3.6), Prep-Cat (3.5), Baro-Cat (3.2), and Lipomul (3.1) received the lowest scores.
Conclusions:
- Mixing Gastrografin with Kool-Aid significantly enhances its palatability.
- Oral contrast agents can be statistically grouped by palatability scores.
- Patient preference for oral contrast agents varies widely, with flavor additives potentially improving acceptance.