Question

The primary health care provider has prescribed a barium swallow test for a patient with upper gastrointestinal disorder. The nurse explains the test to the patient before conducting it. Which statement by the patient indicates effective learning?

Answer 1

A barium swallow test uses barium sulfate to diagnose upper gastrointestinal disorders, and the patient understands how the test works.

Step-by-step explanation:

A barium swallow test is a medical imaging procedure that uses barium sulfate to diagnose upper gastrointestinal disorders, such as acid reflux disease, Crohn's disease, and ulcers. During the test, the patient drinks a solution that contains barium sulfate, which coats the intestinal tract and makes it visible on X-rays or other imaging techniques.

The statement by the patient that indicates effective learning could be:

• I understand that the barium swallow test uses a solution with barium sulfate to coat my intestinal tract and help diagnose my upper gastrointestinal disorder.

This substance coats their digestive organs, making them opaque to x-rays due to the high atomic mass of barium. This allows for medical imaging that can diagnose conditions including acid reflux disease, Crohn's disease, and ulcers. An example of such a statement would be 'I understand that by drinking the barium solution, the doctors will be able to see my digestive tract more clearly on the x-ray to find the cause of my symptoms.'