Characterization of delayed liquid gastric emptying in children by the (13)C-acetate breath test

The (13)C-acetate breath test represents a potential alternative to conventional scintigraphy to measure liquid gastric emptying (GE). The purpose of this study was to compare the (13)C-acetate breath test to gastric scintigraphy in children with functional dyspepsia. Simultaneous assessment of GE was performed in 28 children (9-17 years of age) using a liquid test meal that was double labeled with (13)C-acetate and (99 m)Technetium. (13)CO(2) versus time profiles were fit using traditional pharmacokinetic analyses. For each subject, GE half-life [Formula: see text] determined by scintigraphy was plotted against parameters determined from the (13)C-acetate breath test. Linear regression was used to explore the associations between the tests. Complete (13)CO(2) versus time profiles were available for 25 subjects. There was no association between the scintigraphy GE T½ and the(13)CO(2) half-exhalation time. However, significant associations were observed between the gastric half-emptying time as determined by scintigraphy and two of the breath test parameters: the enrichment of (13)CO(2) present in breath samples at 60 min (DOB(60)) (r = -0.52, p = 0.01) and the area under the curve from 0 to 60 min (AUC(0-60 min)) (r = -0.54; p < 0.01). The (13)C-acetate breath test has the potential to serve as a rapid, technically simple and inexpensive means to assess liquid GE in children with functional dyspepsia and possibly serve as a pharmacodynamic surrogate in studies of prokinetic drugs in children.