Effect of oral erythromycin on gastric and small bowel transit time of capsule endoscopy.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the effect of oral erythromycin on gastric and small bowel transit time of capsule endoscopy.


METHODS
Consecutive patients who underwent capsule endoscopy during the 16-mo study period were either given 250 mg oral erythromycin, 1 h prior to swallowing the capsule endoscope or nothing. The gastric and small bowel transit time, and the small bowel image quality were compared.


RESULTS
Twenty-four patients received oral erythromycin whereas 14 patients were not given any prokinetic agent. Patients who received erythromycin had a significantly lower gastric transit time than control (16 min vs 70 min, P = 0.005), whereas the small bowel transit time was comparable between the two groups (227 min vs 183 min, P = 0.18). Incomplete small bowel examination was found in three patients of the control group and in one patient of the erythromycin group. There was no significant difference in the overall quality of small bowel images between the two groups. A marked reduction in gastric transit time was noted in two patients who had repeat capsule endoscopy after oral erythromycin.


CONCLUSIONS
Use of oral erythromycin significantly reduces the gastric transit time of capsule endoscopy.
Leung
Wai K
WK
Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, Prince of Wales Hospital, 30-32 Ngan Shing Street, Shatin, Hong Kong, China. wkleung@cuhk.edu.hk
Chan
Francis K L
FK
Fung
Sara S L
SS
Wong
Mei-Yin
MY
Sung
Joseph J Y
JJ
D015992:Body Mass Index; D002214:Capsules; D016099:Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal / Q000379:methods*; D004917:Erythromycin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D005772:Gastrointestinal Transit / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D007700:Kinetics; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013270:Stomach / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology
D002214:Capsules; D004917:Erythromycin