The competitive barium meal.

The diagnostic value of a large number of films taken during the routine double-contrast barium meal has been assessed. It is suggested that a minimum number of undercouch views are necessary for a routine examination of the stomach and duodenum. In our series, all of the diagnoses reported would have been made using these views alone and with considerable savings in time, cost and irradiation. The routine barium meal should be an efficient, quick and cost-effective technique, which should be preferable to endoscopy as the primary method of investigation of the upper gastrointestinal tract.