Dietary and bowel preparations are important for the success of the examination:

Barium studies

• Require fasting for 6 hours (sips of plain water is alright).
• Low roughage meal (no vegetables, plain rice & clear soups) the night before.
• If the examination is in the afternoon, have a light breakfast of plain bread and tea / coffee without milk. Barium enema patients would have to insert suppository (provided by department when making appointment) on morning of examination.