The value of barium enema in establishing nature and level of intestinal obstruction.

In cases with obscure abdominal symptoms, potentially obstructive in nature, barium enema constitutes a valuable supplement to the routine abdominal plain film examination. The method, extended to include a reflux examination of the distal part of the small bowel, offers an important alternative to the frequently employed follow through examination, whenever the indications for immediate surgical exploration remain conditional. In the hands of radiologists accustomed to hydrostatic reduction of intussusception, the procedure yields a fast and safe differentiation between adynamic and mechanical ileus.