Gastric emptying of solid radiopaque markers: studies in healthy subjects and diabetic patients

Journal Article · Mon Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1984 · Gastroenterology; (United States)

OSTI ID:6449553

Feldman, M; Smith, H J; Simon, T R

The purpose of these studies was to develop a radiologic method for assessing gastric emptying of an indigestible solid in humans and to apply this technique to the evaluation of patients with diabetes mellitus. Thirty healthy subjects ingested 10 solid radiopaque markers (small pieces of nasogastric tubing) together with a standard meal (donuts and 7-Up). Radiographs of the upper abdomen were obtained hourly for up to 6 h until all markers had emptied from the stomach. In some experiments, 99mTc-labeled scrambled eggs were added to the meal so that emptying of this digestible solid, assessed by scintigraphy, could be compared with emptying of liquids and solid radiopaque markers. In healthy subjects, the digestible solid emptied more slowly than the liquid (t 1/2 . 154 +/- 11 min vs. 30 +/- 3 min, p less than 0.001), but emptying of digestible solid was significantly faster than the emptying of the indigestible solid radiopaque markers. In diabetics, emptying rates for the digestible solid and liquid were close to normal (t 1/2 . 178 +/- 5 min and 40 +/- 3 min, respectively), whereas indigestible solid markers were retained in the stomach 6 h after the meal in 50% of the patients. Radiopaque markers proved to be a simple method for measuring gastric emptying of indigestible solids in humans. Using this technique, patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus had a high incidence of abnormally slow gastric emptying of indigestible solids; the method may be a more sensitive indicator of gastric motor dysfunction than radionuclide scintigraphy.

• Research Organization: Department of Internal Medicine, Dallas Veterans Administration Medical Center, Texas
• OSTI ID: 6449553
• Journal Information: Gastroenterology; (United States), Journal Name: Gastroenterology; (United States) Vol. 87:4; ISSN GASTA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BODY
COUNTING TECHNIQUES
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
DIABETES MELLITUS
DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES
DIGESTION
DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
DISEASES
DYNAMIC FUNCTION STUDIES
ELECTRON CAPTURE RADIOISOTOPES
ENDOCRINE DISEASES
FOOD
GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT
HOURS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
INDIUM 111
INDIUM ISOTOPES
INGESTION
INTAKE
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPE APPLICATIONS
ISOTOPES
METABOLIC DISEASES
MINUTES LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ORGANS
PATHOGENESIS
RADIOISOTOPE SCANNING
RADIOISOTOPES
SCINTISCANNING
STOMACH
TECHNETIUM 99
TECHNETIUM ISOTOPES
TRACER TECHNIQUES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES