barium
- A chemical element with the symbol Ba and atomic number 56. It is a soft, silvery alkaline earth metal that is never found in nature in its pure form due to its high reactivity. Barium is used in various industrial applications, including the production of barium sulfate for use in medical imaging. nounBarium is often used in X-ray imaging of the digestive system.The barium compound was crucial in the manufacturing process of the new product.
- In medicine, a barium meal or barium swallow refers to a diagnostic procedure where a patient ingests a barium sulfate solution to improve the contrast of X-ray images of the gastrointestinal tract. nounThe doctor recommended a barium swallow to investigate the patient's swallowing difficulties.During the barium meal, the patient was asked to drink a chalky liquid to highlight the esophagus on the X-ray.