Da Kine Star-Bulletin staff and wire services

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FINDINGS
Milk does a CT scan good

The foul-tasting barium sulfate liquid that patients have to drink before a CT scan of the digestive system could be replaced by ordinary whole milk, a small study suggests.

Barium sulfate is used to distend the hollow digestive organs so they can be seen in the images produced by the scan. The researchers found that drinking whole milk before the scan has essentially the same effect, because its fat content is digested slowly. The barium drink distends the small intestine somewhat more than the milk, but the definition of the intestinal walls is just as clear with milk as with barium. The contrast medium, given by injection to add definition to body tissues, is just as clear. One additional significant benefit: milk costs about $1.39 per patient, while the barium sulfate costs $18.