ARRT Patient Care Practice Exam

Which of the following procedures requires restriction of a patient’s diet?

1. Barium enema

2. Pyelogram

3. Metastatic survey

4. All of the above

The correct answer is: Barium enema

The requirement for restricting a patient’s diet often depends on the specific preparation needed for a procedure to ensure optimal imaging results and patient safety. In the case of a barium enema, the patient typically must follow a specific diet leading up to the procedure. This involves dietary restrictions, such as avoiding high-fiber foods and possibly fasting for a certain period. The reason for this is to ensure that the colon is clean and free of any residues that may obscure the barium contrast used during the procedure, which helps to visualize the lower gastrointestinal tract more clearly. For other procedures like a pyelogram or a metastatic survey, while there may be some preparatory guidelines, they do not typically require the same level of dietary restrictions as a barium enema. A pyelogram often involves hydration requirements or may require the patient to have a clear liquid diet, depending on the specific protocol, but does not involve the same strict dietary limitations. A metastatic survey is more focused on imaging and usually doesn't necessitate major dietary changes. Thus, among the listed procedures, a barium enema is the one that specifically requires a patient's diet to be restricted prior to the test for the sake of producing accurate imaging results.