Gastric Emptying

Abstract

Dynamic (continuous) and static imaging techniques were compared in the analysis of gastric emptying patterns in 16 consecutive adult patients with normal gastric half-emptying times assessed by dynamic imaging for 90 minutes under a dual head camera allowing simultaneous anterior and posterior imaging. Gastric t1/2 values were calculated for each patient based on four different data analysis methods: geometric mean corrected dynamic data (GD), anterior alone dynamic data (AD), geometric mean corrected simulated static data (GS), and anterior alone simulated static data (AS). The mean t1/2 values were: GD = 63.8 minutes, AD = 72.1 minutes, GS = 65.3 minutes, and AS = 73.0 minutes. Both the geometric mean corrected methods had a statistically different t1/2 than either of the anterior methods. Lag phase measurements, defined as a 2% decrease in gastric activity were: GD = 7 minutes, AD = 19 minutes, GS = 6 minutes, and AS = 16 minutes. Dynamic and static geometric mean methods provide similar gastric t1/2 calculations that are statistically different than anterior alone methods, and the lag phase is much shorter using either of the geometric mean methods.