Does gastric entubation cause entero-gastric reflux?

Using 99mTc diethyl HIDA, we have examined patients with duodenal and gastric ulceration for the effect of naso-gastric intubation on bile reflux. Fourteen patients with duodenal ulceration were studied supine under a gamma camera. Activity from the stomach area showed no significant change before and after naso-gastric intubation (Mann-Whitney U = 0.18). Nineteen patients with gastric ulceration were investigated for bile reflux using two techniques. One method used the gamma camera but without naso-gastric intubation. The other method involved passing a naso-gastric tube and aspirating aliquots of a liquid meal which were analysed for 99mTc HIDA content. The incidence of bile reflux in patients with gastric ulceration was the same when the results of the two methods were compared. We conclude that investigation of groups of patients for duodeno-gastric reflux by naso-gastric aspiration of gastric contents is a valid technique.