The [13C]acetate breath test accurately reflects gastric emptying of liquids in both liquid and semisolid test meals.
OBJECTIVE
The current standard for gastric emptying studies are radioactive isotope methods. [13C]breath tests have been developed as a nonradioactive alternative. The aim of this study was to validate a [13C]acetate breath test as a measure of gastric emptying of the liquid phase both in liquid and semisolid test meals by simultaneous radioscintigraphy.


METHODS
Thirty-five patients with dyspeptic symptoms and 20 healthy volunteers were tested using a semisolid oatmeal or a liquid test meal. Both test meals were labeled by 150 mg sodium [13C]acetate and (in patients) by 45 MBq 99mTc-albumin colloid. Half-time of gastric emptying was calculated after curve fitting of the 13C exhalation to a modified power exponential function. 99mTc-albumin emptying was measured by conventional radioscintigraphy.


RESULTS
The half-emptying times for the [13C]acetate breath test closely correlated to those measured by radioscintigraphy both for semisolids (r = 0.87) and liquids (r = 0.95). The time of maximum 13CO2 exhalation was itself a reliable parameter compared with the half-emptying times obtained by scintigraphy (r = 0.85 for semisolids; r = 0.94 for liquids).


CONCLUSIONS
The [13C]acetate breath test is a reliable and noninvasive tool for the analysis of gastric emptying rates of liquid phases without radiation exposure.
Braden
B
B
Center of Internal Medicine, University Hospital, Frankfurt/Main, Germany.
Adams
S
S
Duan
L P
LP
Orth
K H
KH
Maul
F D
FD
Lembcke
B
B
Hör
G
G
Caspary
W F
WF
D000085:Acetates / Q000032:analysis; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001944:Breath Tests / Q000379:methods; D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D005746:Gastric Emptying; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013668:Technetium Tc 99m Aggregated Albumin
D000085:Acetates; D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes; D013668:Technetium Tc 99m Aggregated Albumin