Pharma gyan Pandit

Gastric emptying studies for Gastroesophageal reflux disease

Gastric emptying studies are studies with the purpose of determine how well food empties from the stomach. As discussed above, about 20 % of patients with Gastroesophageal reflux disease have slow emptying of the stomach that may be result to the reflux of acid. For gastric emptying studies, the patient eats a meal that is label with a radioactive substance. A sensor that is similar to a Geiger counter is placed over the stomach to measure how quickly the radioactive substance in the meal empties from the stomach.

Information from the emptying study can be useful for patients with Gastroesophageal reflux disease. For example, if a patient with Gastroesophageal reflux disease continues to have symptoms despite treatment with the usual medications, doctors might prescribe other medications that speed-up emptying of the stomach.

Symptoms of nausea, vomiting, and regurgitation may be due either to abnormal gastric emptying or Gastroesophageal reflux disease. An evaluation of gastric emptying, therefore, may be useful in identifying patients whose symptoms are due to abnormal emptying of the stomach rather than to Gastroesophageal reflux disease.