Gastric emptying in children with gastroesophageal reflux and in healthy children

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of this report is to examine whether children with gastroesophageal reflux (GER) have delayed gastric emptying compared to healthy children.

Methods: All patients had GER verified by 24-hour pH monitoring. Gastric emptying of cow's milk was examined by radionuclide scintigraphy in 51 patients with GER and in 24 controls. Gastric emptying rate was expressed as exponential half time (T1/2).

Results: Median age was 4.4 years [range 0.1-15.4] in patients and 6.1 years [range 2.5-10.0] in controls (p=.10). A wide range of gastric emptying rates was observed both in GER patients [range 16-121] and controls [range 29-94]. One GER patient (2%) had slower gastric emptying (T1/2=121 min) than the healthy child with the longest T1/2 (94 min). Mean T1/2 was 49 minutes (SD 20.1) and 46 minutes (SD 14.2) in GER patients and controls, respectively (p=.51).

Conclusions: Gastric emptying rate of milk was not significantly different between children with GER and healthy children. A wide range of gastric emptying rates was observed in both groups.

Keywords: Child; Fundoplication; Gastric emptying; Gastroesophageal reflux; Milk; Scinitigraphy.