[Subjective tolerance of pentagastrin test (author's transl)]

Side effects of pentagastrin were registered in 50 patients before application of a gastric suction drainage tube, during the basal secretion period as well as after injection of 6 microgram/kg pentagastrin resp. 1 ml of physiological saline. Discrete symptoms occurred significantly more frequently after pentagastrin application: 28% of patients complained about nausea, 24% about tremor, 22% about hot feeling. These sensations occurred immediately after injection and continued for several minutes. In 4 persons the test had to be stopped because of collapse. There was no correlation between the frequency of symptoms, age of the patient, sex or gastric acidity. Causal relationships to lowering of blood pressure or changes of gastrointestinal motility are discussed.