Frequent occurrence of rapid as well as delayed gastric emptying of a corn flakes and milk meal in clinical patients with gastrointestinal symptoms.
OBJECTIVE
Early satiety, nausea and vomiting have traditionally been associated with delayed gastric emptying (GE). A study was performed to determine the frequency of rapid/delayed GE in 100 patients sequentially referred for scintigraphic GE using a corn flakes and milk meal.


METHODS
A retrospective review of 100 consecutive GE studies at the University Hospital, San Antonio, Texas, was performed. Each patient received a semisolid meal containing corn flakes, milk, and sugar (200 kcal, 6 g fat, 7 g protein, and 30 g carbohydrates) and 37.0 MBq (1 mCi) of Tc-99m sulfur colloid according to a standard clinical protocol followed by dynamic 1-minute planar acquisitions for 60 minutes. Gastric emptying times were classified based on the 50% emptying time as follows: 30 to 60 minutes for normal, abnormally delayed as >60 minutes, and abnormally rapid as <30 minutes.


RESULTS
Twenty-eight patients demonstrated rapid GE, 25 delayed GE, and 45 normal GE. Fifteen (54%) patients with rapid GE were diabetic, 4 (14%) had impaired fasting glucose values, and 9 (32%) were normoglycemic. Fourteen (56%) patients with delayed GE were diabetic, one (4%) had impaired fasting glucose, and 10 (40%) were normoglycemic. Both patients with delayed and those with rapid GE had nausea as the most common symptom followed by early satiety (rapid GE) and vomiting (delayed GE). Of 28 patients with rapid GE, 26 were on promotility agents.


CONCLUSIONS
The number of patients with rapid GE of the corn flakes, milk, and sugar meal is appreciably greater (28%) than previously reported with other meals. This relative large number is likely related to the meal composition and the homogeneous dispersal of the label within the meal.
Santiago-Maldonado
Ida Mary
IM
Brooke Army Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston, TX, USA.
Phillips
William T
WT
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000503:physiopathology; D002523:Edible Grain; D005260:Female; D005746:Gastric Emptying / Q000502:physiology*; D018589:Gastroparesis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008892:Milk; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013671:Technetium Tc 99m Sulfur Colloid; D003313:Zea mays
D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D013671:Technetium Tc 99m Sulfur Colloid