Measurement of the rate of stomach emptying using Indium-113m and a 10-crystal rectilinear scanner.

Abstract

Accurate reproducible measurements of the rate of gastric emptying have only been possible since the advent of external radionuclide detection techniques. Indium-113m and a 10-crystal rectilinear scanner have been employed to measure stomach emptying rates. The technique is simple, the results reproducible and it has proved ideal for assessing the results of drug therapy in patients with gastric retention. In the normal individual the T50% was 42 to 95 minutes, and the relationship between counts and time was, to first approximation, a linear function.