National Electrical Manufacturers Association. US Association which sets standards for electrical products.

An enema is a medical procedure that involves the administration of drugs or substances to clear the bowel or the injection of liquid into the intestine through the rectum.

A barium enema is an x-ray examination of the colon and rectum to find abnormalities such as polyps, diverticulosis, cancer, or inflammatory disease.
Liquid barium is administered through a small tube inserted into the rectum. In case of an air-contrast or double-contrast barium enema, the added air improves the evaluation of the lining of the large intestine.
Barium enemas require a bowel preparation with laxatives, starting one day before the examination.

See also Colonoscopy and Virtual Colonoscopy.

(DICOM) DICOM is the industry standard for transferral of radiologic images and other medical information between computers. Patterned after the Open System Interconnection of the International Standards Organization, DICOM enables digital communication between diagnostic and therapeutic equipment and systems from various manufacturers.
The DICOM 3.0 standard evolved from versions 1.0 (1985) and 2.0 (1988) of a standard developed by the American College of Radiology (ACR) and National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA). To support the implementation and demonstration of DICOM 3.0, the RSNA Electronic Communications Committee began to work with the ACR-NEMA MedPacs ad hoc section in 1992.
Also Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS), which are connected with the Radiology Information System (RIS), use commonly the DICOM standard for the transfer and storage of medical images.

See also Barcode, Annotation, Printer and Diagnostic Imaging.

Barium sulfate (BaSO4) is an inert and insoluble white powder with high density. Barium belongs chemically to the group of heavy metals. Mixed with water and additional ingredients (e.g., sweetening agents), barium sulfate is the preferred positive contrast agent for abdominal x-ray and computed tomography examinations. The extremely low solubility of barium sulfate protects patients from absorbing harmful amounts of the metal (water soluble metal compounds are often highly toxic). The high density in x-ray examinations is related to the high atomic number, since large nuclei absorb x-rays much better than smaller nuclei.
Barium sulfate agents for opacification of the gastrointestinal tract are not absorbed or metabolized and are resistant to dilution. These contrast agents are opaque white suspensions and usually swallowed or administered as an enema. They provide better delineation of mucosal details and are less expensive than water-soluble iodinated contrast media. The elimination rate is a function of gastrointestinal transit time. After GI application, it leaves the body with the feces.

Contraindications of barium sulfate products in case of known or suspected: