Nonoperative treatment of simple meconium ileus: a survey of the Society for Pediatric Radiology.

To determine the practice pattern regarding nonoperative treatment of simple meconium ileus, a survey was sent to directors of 66 pediatric radiology departments in the USA and Canada. Thirty-nine responses were received reporting 1,236 patients. A wide variation of enema techniques and contrast media were used. While the success rate did not correlate with osmolality, mode of administration, catheter size, or perforation rate, there was a significantly higher overall success rate with the use of Gastrografin versus non-Gastrografin (p < 0.00076) and the use of additives such as Tween-80 and Mucomyst versus techniques without additives (p < 0.00001). Perforation did not correlate with success rate, osmolality, or type of contrast medium. The only two instances of rectal perforations were associated with the use of balloon-tip catheter.