A valid, accurate, office based non-radioactive test for gastric emptying of solids
- aGastroenterology Research Unit, Mayo Clinic and Mayo Foundation, Rochester, Minnesota, USA, bSection of Biostatistics, Mayo Clinic and Mayo Foundation, Rochester, Minnesota, USA, cMeretek Diagnostics, Houston, Texas, USA
- Dr M Camilleri, Mayo Clinic, Gastroenterology Research Unit, 200 First St SW, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.
- Accepted 25 November 1999
Abstract
BACKGROUND Current breath tests for measurement of gastric emptying of solids are expensive, possibly inaccurate, and require cumbersome calculations.
AIMS We wished to validate a simplified solid gastric emptying test using a [13C]Spirulina platensisbreath test for accurate results relative to scintigraphy.
SUBJECTS Thirty healthy volunteers.
METHODS We measured gastric emptying of egg containing [13C]S platensis and99mTc sulphur colloid by breath13CO2 and scintigraphy over six hours. A generalised linear regression model was used to predict t1/2 and tLAG by scintigraphy from breath13CO2 data. The model was cross validated and normative data calculated for a prepacked [13C]meal.
RESULTS Regression models using all breath data over six hours, for the first three hours, and for samples at 75, 90, and 180 minutes (“reduced model”) predicted t1/2 and tLAG values similar to scintigraphy (tLAG 43 (SD 12) min; t1/2 100 (20) min). Standard deviations of differences in t1/2 and tLAG between scintigraphy and the “reduced model” were both 10 minutes. Gastric t1/2 for the prepacked [13C]meal was 91 (15) min (10–90% range: 74–118).
CONCLUSION The [13C]S platensis breath test and a simple formula using breath 13CO2 at baseline, 90, and 180 minutes measured gastric emptying t1/2 for solids with results that were comparable with scintigraphy.
Footnotes
- Abbreviations used in this paper:
- t1/2
- half-emptying time
- tLAG
- lag time
