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Upper Gastrointestinal (UGI) Series - How To Prepare
About this test
Tell your doctor if you:
- Are taking any medicine.
- Are allergic to any medicines, barium, or any other X-ray contrast material.
- Are or might be pregnant. This test is not done during pregnancy because of the risk of radiation to the developing baby (fetus).
You may be asked to eat a low-fiber diet for 2 or 3 days before the test. You may also be asked to stop eating for 12 hours before the test. Your doctor will tell you if you need to stop taking certain medicines before the test.
The evening before the test, you may be asked to take a laxative to help clean out your intestines. If your stomach cannot empty well on its own, you may have a special tube put through your nose and down into your stomach just before the test begins. A gentle suction on the tube will drain the stomach contents.
If you are having the small bowel follow-through after the UGI series, you will need to wait between X-rays. The entire small bowel follow-through exam takes up to 6 hours, so bring along a book to read or some other quiet activity.
You may be asked to
sign a consent form. Talk to your doctor about any concerns you have regarding
the need for the test, its risks, how it will be done, or what the results will
mean. To help you understand the importance of this test, fill out the
medical test information form 
(What is a PDF document?).
| By: | Healthwise Staff | Last Revised: October 29, 2010 |
| Medical Review: | Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine | |
© 1995-2011 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated. This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.
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