Gastrointestinal Tract Imaging

The last decade has seen enormous upheaval within all aspects of health care, and the gastrointestinal/ gastroenterology (GI) service has been no exception. Increasing demand for new and established diagnostic and interventional procedures has encouraged innovative models of service delivery, resulting in a range of health professionals crossing traditional practice boundaries. In particular, nurses and radiographers have seized the opportunity to develop their scope of practice, managing a range of procedures including colonoscopy, barium studies and CT colonography. This has, in many cases, freed both radiologists and gastroenterologists to take on new roles in the interventional service. The development of new procedures and new ways of working has promoted a renewed enthusiasm for critical evaluation of the GI service as a whole. As practitioners and clinicians learn new skills and extend their scope of practice it is essential that they have a thorough understanding of the basis of safe, effective and evidence based practice. This book offers the reader a detailed overview of the range of imaging procedures that may be employed in the investigation of gastrointestinal tract pathology, and explores current practice related to the subsequent patient care pathways and treatment options. It has been designed as a detailed reference guide for all health professionals who have a direct involvement in the GI tract and its imaging, including those who may be referring patients for GI radiological investigation, those professionals who are performing and subsequently reporting the procedures, and the clinicians responsible for the subsequent patient management. This book offers a unique insight into the rapidly changing radiology service, and offers introductory chapters which provide the fundamental underpinning knowledge required for safe and effective GI practice. Subsequent chapters discuss the evidence base related to a range of imaging procedures suitable for investigation of upper and lower GI symptoms, supported by key pathology chapters. The book also explores the range of treatments available for the more common GI tract pathology.