A Case of Barium Enema –Induced Anal Fistula in a Long-term Care Resident: An Imperative to Avoid Barium Enema as a Screening and Diagnostic Tool in the Elderly

The use of barium enema study has decreased as lower GI endoscopy becomes more prevalent. However, it is still used in several clinical settings given benefits of sedation avoidance, less invasiveness and low cost. Even though barium enema is a relatively safe study, complications may result in rare cases. Colonic perforation is the most frequent serious complication, occurring in 0.02 to 0.04% of patients. Extra peritoneal perforation is usually less catastrophic than intra peritoneal perforation, but may result in pain, abscess, rectal stricture or fistula.
Source: Journal of the American Medical Directors Association - Category: Health Management Authors: Tags: Case Report Source Type: research