Gastric Emptying Study

Your physician has requested that you undergo a nuclear gastric emptying study. This is a simple and non-invasive way to evaluate the emptying of ingested food from your stomach to your intestines. In order to have a successful test, it is very important that you follow the instructions given below.

1. You must be NPO (nothing by mouth) after midnight. This means that you should not eat or drink (even moderate to large amounts of water) after midnight. (Note: In patients currently on hyperalimentation or parenteral nutrition, feedings/TPN infusions should be stopped 4 hours prior to the examination).
2. Check with your physician (one who ordered this study) to see which medications should be withheld and for how long before this study. Many medications can affect gastric emptying, and knowing which medications to withhold is very important
3. Study will take at approximately 3 hours.

Study Procedure

1. After registration report to Medical imaging and check in with the receptionist.
2. You will then be escorted to Nuclear Medicine
3. A short history will be taken
4. After the history has been taken you will be given a meal consisting of scrambled eggs toast and orange juice. The eggs and the orange juice contain a small amount of radioactive material. The radiation that you will receive from this will be negligible and there will be no taste, smell or ill effects.
5. You must eat the meal within 10 minutes along with the orange juice that will be given to you.
6. The technologist will take images of your stomach every 15 minutes for 135 minutes. The total time of the test will be approximately 3 hours.
7. After the test is complete you will be released and may resume normal activities.
8. The Radiologist will read the test and the results will be sent to the ordering physician.

Note: Inpatients will be transported directly to Nuclear Medicine.