Nausea predicts delayed gastric emptying in children

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Gastroenterology
• Motility Disorders
• Diagnostic Accuracy

Background:

• Delayed gastric emptying (DGE) is a significant concern in pediatric patients.
• The Gastropastric Cardinal Symptom Index (GCSI) is a tool used to assess gastroparesis symptoms.
• Understanding the correlation between reported symptoms and objective DGE measures is crucial for accurate diagnosis and management in children.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if the GCSI or its individual symptoms correlate with DGE in pediatric patients.
• To evaluate children's comprehension of symptoms related to DGE.
• To assess the utility of the GCSI in identifying DGE in a pediatric population.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 50 children (ages 5-18) undergoing gastric emptying scintigraphy (GES) completed the GCSI and a symptom comprehension questionnaire.
• GES results were categorized as normal or abnormal.
• The Wilcoxon rank sum test was used to correlate GES findings with questionnaire responses.

Main Results:

• Seventy percent of the children exhibited normal GES results.
• The overall GCSI score did not show a significant association with DGE.
• Nausea was the only symptom independently associated with DGE (P = .04).

Conclusions:

• The GCSI is not a reliable indicator of delayed gastric emptying in children.
• Children demonstrated adequate understanding of GCSI terms, suggesting comprehension was not a limiting factor.
• Nausea emerged as a potential standalone symptom associated with DGE in pediatric patients.