Measurement of gastric emptying time of solids in healthy subjects using scintigraphic method: a revised technique

The gastric emptying half time (GET) of solid food in 24 healthy volunteers (11M/13F) was evaluated using a revised technique and a gamma camera scan. Within 20 min and after 8 h of fasting, each volunteer ate two pieces of toast with a two-egg-omelette that was mixed with 18.5 MBq (99m)Tc-labelled phytate. The raw data were analysed in the MATLAB program to establish the gastric intestine tract (GI tract) biokinetic model. The GI tract model defines the metabolic mechanism with reference to five compartments, which are stomach, body fluid, small intestine (SI), upper large intestine and lower large intestine, according to the ICRP-30 report. The model was expressed using four simultaneous time-dependent differential equations. The gastric emptying half-time and T(1/2eff)(SI) of males were 62.6±15.4 and 149.8±204.1 min, respectively, and those of females were 98.8±16.3 and 131.6±38.4 min.