Variability in antroduodenal and colonic manometry protocols across pediatric centers worldwide

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Gastroenterology
• Gastrointestinal Motility Disorders
• Diagnostic Procedures

Background:

• Antroduodenal manometry (ADM) and colonic manometry (CM) are key diagnostic tools for pediatric gastrointestinal motility disorders.
• Existing minimal standards lack comprehensive protocol uniformity.
• Global assessment of ADM and CM protocol diversity is lacking.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the diversity in antroduodenal (ADM) and colonic (CM) manometry protocols across pediatric centers worldwide.
• To identify variations in study parameters and pharmacological stimulations.
• To highlight the need for standardized international guidelines.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study utilizing an anonymous global survey of pediatric centers.
• Comparison of protocols between United States (US) and non-US centers.
• Data collection on study timing, duration, and pharmacological agents used.

Main Results:

• Significant variability observed in ADM study timing (same-day vs. next-day) and duration (4-24 hours).
• Widespread use of erythromycin (87.9%) for ADM stimulation, with US centers employing more pharmacological agents (96.8%) than non-US centers (50%).
• CM studies also showed variability in duration (4-24 hours), with 89.2% using bisacodyl for stimulation.

Conclusions:

• Substantial heterogeneity exists in pediatric ADM and CM protocols globally.
• Variations in study length and pharmacological stimulation impact diagnostic consistency.
• Development and implementation of universal standardized guidelines are urgently needed for ADM and CM studies.