https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/9137 2026-04-27T06:03:16Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/9138 Title: Evaluating the use of oral contrast for abdominal CT Abstract: Purpose: To evaluate the impact on diagnostic efficacy of the use of different types of oral contrast media. The objectives were to establish image quality criteria for bowel evaluation on abdominopelvic CT; use the newly established image quality criteria to evaluate and compare image quality in abdominopelvic CT examinations using positive OCM, neutral OCM, and no OCM; and evaluate possible benefits in terms of costs for the medical imaging department. Methodology: Forty-six adult outpatients attending for a follow-up abdominopelvic CT for general oncological indications and who had previously undergone an abdominopelvic CT for which positive OCM was administered were recruited to the study. The previous abdominopelvic CT images with positive OCM (n = 46) were collected retrospectively whilst follow-up exams for which either water (n = 25) or no OCM (n = 21) were administered were collected prospectively, totalling 92 abdominopelvic image sets. Three observers performed absolute visual grading analysis to assess the image quality of the images according to 24 image quality criteria. Data was analysed using visual grading characteristics. Costs were computed by calculating the monetary expenditure related to OCM administration per patient. Other costs, such as time, were also noted. Results: The results of this study demonstrate that abdominopelvic CT using positive OCM, water as a neutral OCM, or no OCM results in comparable image quality with regards to reproduction of abdominal structures, discrimination of the bowel from these structures, presence of artefacts, and visualisation of the amount of intraabdominal fat for all OCM protocols. The cost of positive OCM was found to be approximately €1.70 per patient. The water cost was considered negligible. Conclusion: Positive OCM, water or no OCM can be used for follow-up staging abdominopelvic CT for general oncological indications. Description: M.SC.RADIOGRAPHY 2013-01-01T00:00:00Z