Practical management approach to gastroparesis

Gastroparesis is a syndrome characterised by delayed gastric emptying in the absence of mechanical obstruction. Symptoms can include early satiety, abdominal pain, bloating, vomiting and regurgitation which cause significant morbidity in addition to nutritional deficits. There is a higher prevalence in diabetics and females, but the incidence in the Australian population has not been well studied. Management of gastroparesis involves investigating and correcting nutritional deficits, optimising glycaemic control and improving gastrointestinal motility. Symptom control in gastroparesis can be challenging. Nutritional deficits should be addressed initially through dietary modification. Enteral feeding is a second-line option when oral intake is insufficient. Home parenteral nutrition is rarely used, and only accessible through specialised clinics in the outpatient setting. Prokinetic medication classes that have been used include dopamine receptor antagonists, motilin receptor agonists, 5-HT₄ receptor agonists and ghrelin receptor agonists. Anti-emetic agents are often used for symptom control. Interventional treatments include gastric electrical stimulation, gastric per-oral endoscopic myotomy, feeding jejunostomy and gastrostomy/jejunstomy for gastric venting and enteral feeding. In this article we propose a framework to manage gastroparesis in Australia based on current evidence and available therapies.