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Gastrointestinal Symptoms Profile in Gastroparesis Compared to Other Functional and Organic Gastrointestinal Diseases
James W Varni1,2, Bruno P Chumpitazi3,4, Liz Febo-Rodriguez5
1From the Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX.
Insights
Pediatric gastroparesis patients report more severe gastrointestinal symptoms, particularly stomach discomfort and nausea, compared to most other pediatric GI conditions. This highlights significant differences in patient-reported outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Gastroenterology
- Gastrointestinal Motility Disorders
- Patient-Reported Outcomes
Background:
- Gastroparesis is a debilitating gastrointestinal disorder affecting children.
- Understanding patient-reported symptoms is crucial for diagnosis and management.
- Comparing gastroparesis symptoms to other functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) and organic diseases is essential.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare patient-reported gastrointestinal symptom profiles in pediatric gastroparesis versus other FGIDs and organic gastrointestinal diseases.
- To utilize the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) Gastrointestinal Symptoms Scales for comprehensive symptom assessment.
Main Methods:
- Compared 64 pediatric gastroparesis patients (confirmed by gastric emptying scintigraphy) with 582 pediatric patients diagnosed with other GI conditions.
- Utilized the PedsQL Gastrointestinal Symptoms Scales, assessing 10 symptom domains and an overall score.
Main Results:
- Pediatric gastroparesis patients reported significantly worse overall gastrointestinal symptoms than most other groups, except irritable bowel syndrome.
- Stomach discomfort when eating was significantly worse in gastroparesis patients compared to all other groups.
- Nausea and vomiting were significantly more severe in gastroparesis patients compared to most other groups.
Conclusions:
- Pediatric gastroparesis is associated with significantly worse overall gastrointestinal symptoms compared to most other pediatric GI diagnoses.
- Stomach discomfort and nausea/vomiting are key distinguishing symptoms for pediatric gastroparesis.
- These findings underscore the distinct symptom burden in pediatric gastroparesis.
Objectives:
The primary objective was to compare the patient-reported gastrointestinal symptoms profiles of pediatric patients with gastroparesis to pediatric patients with 1 of 7 other functional gastrointestinal disorders and organic gastrointestinal diseases using the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) Gastrointestinal Symptoms Scales.
Methods:
The gastrointestinal symptoms profiles of 64 pediatric patients with gastroparesis who manifested abnormal gastric retention based on gastric emptying scintigraphy testing were compared to 582 pediatric patients with 1 of 7 physician-diagnosed gastrointestinal disorders (functional abdominal pain, irritable bowel syndrome, functional dyspepsia, gastroesophageal reflux disease, functional constipation, Crohn disease, ulcerative colitis). The PedsQL Gastrointestinal Symptoms Scales encompass 10 individual multi-item scales which measure stomach pain, stomach discomfort when eating, food and drink limits, trouble swallowing, heartburn and reflux, nausea and vomiting, gas and bloating, constipation, blood in poop, and diarrhea/fecal incontinence, with an overall total gastrointestinal symptoms score.
Results:
The gastrointestinal symptoms profile analysis identified significantly worse overall total gastrointestinal symptoms scores between pediatric patients with gastroparesis compared to all other gastrointestinal groups except for irritable bowel syndrome (most P s < 0.001), with significant differences for stomach discomfort when eating compared to all 7 other gastrointestinal groups (most P s < 0.001). Nausea and vomiting were significantly worse for gastroparesis compared to all other gastrointestinal groups except for functional dyspepsia (all P s < 0.001).
Conclusions:
Pediatric patients with gastroparesis self-reported significantly worse overall total gastrointestinal symptoms compared to all other gastrointestinal diagnostic groups except for irritable bowel syndrome, with stomach discomfort when eating and nausea and vomiting symptoms exhibiting the greatest differences compared to most gastrointestinal diagnostic groups.
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